The Bible says that God’s your rear guard. In other words, God’s got your back. We don’t need to fear because He surrounds us. Psalm 139 says, ‘You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me’ (v.5 NIV). The fact He is before us and behind us means we are not left exposed to the enemy. He’s not only our guide, but also our guard. The Israelites experienced this first-hand. When they were wandering around the desert, God went before them as a pillar of cloud during the day and fire by night. As the Egyptians were approaching, ‘the Pillar of Cloud that had been in front also shifted to the rear. The Cloud was now between the camp of Egypt and the camp of Israel. The Cloud enshrouded one camp in darkness and flooded the other with light. The two camps didn’t come near each other all night.’ (Exodus 14:19-20 MSG). The idea of God behind us is really reassuring. Not only does it mean protection, like it did for the Israelites, it means that when we’ve messed up or things have happened to us, God is behind us ‘to finish the job, pick up the broken pieces, and mend them into something wonderful and beautiful.’ When our eyes are fixed on the past, on the hurts and mistakes, we stop ourselves from being able to move forward into all that God has for us. But God has a purpose for your life, and a job for you to do. So, keep looking forwards. Don’t let yourself be distracted by what’s behind because God’s got your back.
What Now:
Find a quiet place, leave all distractions behind and listen to ‘Whom Shall I Fear (God of Angel Armies)’ by Chris Tomlin. Pray that God would make you aware of His presence before, behind and all around you today.