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“Father of the fatherless and protector of widows is God in his holy habitation.”
Psalm 68:5 (ESV)

As a child, I was scared quite often.

I was scared of the dark, scared of storms, scared of dogs… Definitely the result of a highly overactive imagination.

It got better with age, but when Ryan and I got engaged, my mother warned him about how scared I still was of storms. He assured her that he would do everything he could to make me feel safe.

And he did.

He was my protector – from all things.

I trusted him with my life – literally. When we rode our motorcycle, his number one priority was my safety and comfort. And he always knew how to push me beyond my comfort zone in just the right way. He bought a particular kind of motorcycle with big wrap-around armrests for me so I would feel safe.

He would analyze what my fear was and then equip me both physically and mentally to face it.

And he was so strong. Physically, mentally, emotionally. I don’t want to put him on a pedestal; he had faults like all men. But God knew just how much it would take for me to feel safe, and He gifted my husband with all those attributes.

Ryan’s priority was always the safety of his family.

When my world shattered after his death, it became a fearful place again.

Was our home safe enough? Would it be safe to go downtown by myself? Was it safe to have repairmen in the house by myself? Would my children be safe?

Within days of Ryan’s passing, I was searching the scriptures for verses about widows.

I had heard the story of the widow who gave everything many times, but what else did scripture say about what I was supposed to do now?

One of the very first verses that came up was Psalm 68:5.

“Father of the fatherless and protector of widows is God in his holy habitation.”

God knew I needed to know that first and foremost, HE is my protector and defender. I didn’t have to be fearful just because my husband wasn’t here anymore.

I believed God was my rock and salvation, and that He watched over us.

But it was head knowledge.

Was He really going to keep people from taking advantage of me? Was He really going to keep me safe physically, emotionally, financially, spiritually?

And then I looked at the next verse in my search tool, directly beneath the first one, and shifted that knowledge from head to heart.

“You shall not mistreat any widow or fatherless child. If you do mistreat them, and they cry out to me, I will surely hear their cry, and my wrath will burn, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall become widows and your children fatherless.”
Exodus 22:22-25

I said, “oh…, uh… ok, Lord. That’s pretty violent.”

I wasn’t going to ask Him to kill my enemies.

But God was showing me that He means business.

He is serious about protecting and defending His widows from His Holy place. God promises to pour out His wrath on those who take advantage of fatherless children and widows.

He promises to hear her cry and the cry of her children!

In that moment, my God, the Creator of the Universe, Sovereign Lord of all things, was not the still quiet voice as I had heard Him so many times before.

With the roar of the Commander of Angels, He was proving to me beyond a shadow of a doubt, with all faithfulness, and for eternity, that HE would be my Shield. My Keeper. My Protector.

In the last four years, He has kept His promise.

I have watched Him care for and protect my children in so many unbelievable ways. He has protected me financially when the errors of others cost me greatly. And He has blessed me with a safe home, a secure neighborhood, and a sweet Labrador – sometimes watchdog named Bear.

Our God meets each of our individual needs.

Safety and protection was a big one for me. He filled that need immediately and completely.

I am no longer scared of anything. I am scared for others who try to harm me.

Dear God, the Commander of the Angel Armies and Defender of Widows, thank you for Your fierce love for me. Help me to remember that You stand at my back and cover me with Your shield. Help me to feel Your presence and know that You are committed to protecting me and my children.