One of the things I love most about knowing and serving God is that when we commit ourselves to Him, He becomes committed to us. He cares about what we care about. And He looks out for our interests. Of course, in many cases, He expects us to partner with Him in order for us to experience the blessings of His protection and provision. One way we can do that is to pray and stand on His promises. Psalm 16:5 above is the perfect example - "You guard all that is mine." I have prayed and claimed this promise for myself and my family for years, and we have reaped its benefits many times.

One night some years ago, while my husband, Joe, and I were asleep, someone tied an explosive device to our above-the-ground pool in an attempt to blow a hole in it. The thought of thousands of gallons of water flooding our property was more than enough to make me feel uneasy. When my husband called the police to report the incident, the officer who inspected the damage could not believe that the explosion did nothing more than create a small crater in the side of our pool. There was no doubt in my mind that the Lord had protected us from what could have been a terrible calamity, and I thanked and praised God for His protection.

Another scriptural promise that I hold dear says, "You will know that your home is safe. When you survey your possessions, nothing will be missing." (Job 5:24 NLT) This promise is one that I have counted on when storms have hit our area, or when my family and I have had to be away from home. I like the way the Living Bible says, "You need not worry about your home while you are gone." Hallelujah! God has made it clear that He longs to be our Protector - and He will reveal Himself as such when we take Him at His Word!

Prayer: Lord, I am so grateful that You desire to guard all that is mine and my family's. Teach us to cooperate with you fully to that end, so that we never have to worry about anything that belongs to us. Help us to continually walk in wisdom so that we'll never foolishly put ourselves or our possessions at risk. Thank You that You will bring to nothing every scheme and plan that would come against us!