Some Kind of Force Field

One of my favorite movies growing up was Antz. In it, a young ant named "Z" struggles against the strict ways of in his ant colony and looks for ways that he can go against the social gradient. In the process, he hears of a land of pure freedom and plenty of food and soon after we find him and the princess of the colony en route to find this "Insectopia." One of my favorite lines, which also happens to be the title of this post, occurs when the two ants find themselves surrounded by food on a picnic blanket. Incorrectly perceiving this as Insectopia, Z goes after one of the sandwiches left on the floor, only to find that the plastic covering keeps him from indulging in the monstrous treat before him. "I don't get it," he says. "There's some kind of force field." Little did he know, that "force field" was like nothing out of Star Wars or some high technological power, but it was simply a covering of saran wrap. Yet, it was enough to keep Z from the sandwich.

I'd like to utilize the image of that "force field" in describing a beautiful truth that's depicted in Psalms 91:3-7:

"Surely he will save you from the fowler's snare and from deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys midday. A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you."

Written by Moses, this passage exemplifies a beautiful truth. When we make our "dwelling" in God (verse 1), our protection from illness, disease, and troubles are found by a "force field" a little stronger than saran-wrap: God himself. God is our protection.

Yet, this chapter makes me wonder: how can this be? I, myself, face disappointments everyday and am particularly battling a congenital heart condition that has brought limit and caution to my once carefree life. I read my Bible and love the Lord with my life. How then, can "bad things" still be happening?

One doesn't need a storm house if it's sunny and calm outside; there's no point for supplemental vitamins if your body doesn't expect to get sick. Both of these examples display the need for protection and precautionary actions. The fact that "God" is our refuge reminds us that, yes, difficult times will come, but indeed, he will be the "shelter from the storm." 1 Peter 5:8-9 and Ephesians 6:10-20 make it clear that difficulties in life will arise. Yet, those who maintain godliness and act according to scripture remain close to God maintain refuge in Him.

I had a dream last night, one which many would label as a horrifying nightmare. Someone, for whatever reason, was trying to kill me. They shot once and, as I flinched in fear, the bullet missed me completely. They shot again with better aim, but the gun literally bounced off of my chest onto the floor. Now, the gunman flustered and confused, shot a third time to no avail. "There was some kind of force field!" as Z would remark. He couldn't destroy me, no matter how hard he tried. The scriptures in 1 Peter and Ephesians above remind us that we, too, have an enemy after our lives. Yet, because of Jesus' sacrifice, we not only have a force field for struggles on earth, but also against death (see John 3:16).

We revert back to Psalms for our final thought on this study: Psalms 118:17 says

"I will not die but live, and will proclaim what the Lord has done."

If we were made to go to heaven immediately after accepting Jesus as our Savior, I'd be in heaven years ago. But we're not. God gives us new life through his Son Jesus not only for our own good, but so that we can share it with those around us. We're given victory over death and a shelter in the storms of life so that we can be a light of hope to a hurting world. There are countless frustrations in life: isn't it time to share some of the force field?