Adobe Walls and God’s Protection

My husband and I celebrated our 39^th wedding anniversary by visiting the famous San Xavier del Bac mission church south of Tucson. To beat the summer heat, we landed on the outer premises at 7:45 a.m. and by 10 a.m., we were ready to head for our air-conditioned car.

“I imagine that since the church doesn’t have any air conditioning, it doesn’t see many visitors mid-afternoon in this kind of heat,” my non-Arizona bred husband remarked.

“Oh, not so,” I countered. “Haven’t you heard of adobe?” And I launched into a full-blown description of the thermodynamic value of locally produced mud-bricks.

What is adobe?

For centuries, desert dwellers made adobe bricks out of a mixture of caliche, water, and straw to build thick walls for their homes, businesses, and churches. The adobe walls absorb the heat of the intense sun during the day, keeping building interiors cool. At night, the heat within the walls releases slowly, keeping buildings from cooling down too rapidly since desert temperatures can drop as much as fifty degrees overnight. The adobe walls act as a thermostat, keeping rooms like the San Xavier chapel at a pleasant well-modulated temperature.

I thought about adobe walls this week when I read Psalm 91:1:

“One who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will lodge in the shadow of the Almighty.”

Psalm 91:1, NIV

A shadow is God’s natural protection system. Whether you move into the shade of a mesquite tree or seek shelter within an adobe building, you’ll quickly discover a vast difference in temperature. The intense damaging rays of the sun are still out there, but you are protected. You will not be harmed by the worst of the heat. If you are smart, you’ll stay in the shade or the shelter.

Likewise, God’s presence provides that shadow of protection for those who put their trust in Him. When believers “dwell in the shelter of the Almighty,” God’s sustaining faithfulness, far more lasting and consistent than any adobe wall, will protect those who seek to stay close to God.

How God Protects Us

Yes, Christians can still suffer from the evil in the world. But the suffering is softened by the protection of God’s love and faithfulness. I’ve heard many Christians who have gone through intense seasons of suffering say, “I don’t know I could have done it without my faith in Jesus.” Jesus himself reassured his followers by saying, “And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell (Matthew 10;28).” Our bodies may be harmed but our souls will not be crushed.

Remember Daniel’s three friends who refused to bow down to the Babylonian king’s idol? Their punishment for resistance was a prison sentence in a fire stoked furnace. Later when the king looked into the furnace, he the three men still alive and someone else. He described that fourth person as looking like a son of the gods (Daniel 3:25). The presence of God had appeared, showing that He was shielding those three men from death.

Whatever you face in this life does not have the power to fully destroy you. God’s invisible shield is enough to protect you from anything. He invites you to step away from the earth’s evil intensity and into the coolness of His protective presence. Stay with Him. Establish His presence as your permanent address. Love Him first and foremost. If you do these things, you will make it through whatever you face. Because you trust in Jesus, the catastrophe cannot make you cave. You will come out on the other side saying, “I don’t know how I could have made it without Jesus.”

How have you witnessed God’s protection of you? Share your story in the comments!