To Rest is to Trust Our Shield
What does it mean to trust God as your shield when life feels uncertain? In this episode, Dawn shares a vivid dream, explores what Scripture means when it calls God our Shield, and reminds us that His presence is our refuge in every circumstance.
Show notes
When life feels uncertain, our first instinct is often to protect ourselves. We make plans, work harder, or try to control the outcome. But Scripture offers a different invitation: to take refuge in the God who is our Shield.
In this episode, Dawn shares a memorable dream that became a powerful reminder of God’s protection and explores what it really means to trust Him in the middle of life’s battles. Through passages from Psalms, 2 Corinthians, and Romans, she reflects on prayer, God’s sustaining presence, and the promise that we never face hardship alone.
Whether you’re walking through a difficult season or simply longing to rely on God more deeply, this episode offers encouragement to lay down self-reliance and rest in the One who faithfully cares for His children.
In this episode you’ll discover:
- The comfort of knowing the Holy Spirit intercedes for us, even when we don’t know what to pray.
- What Scripture means when it describes God as our Shield.
- Why trusting God doesn’t guarantee an easy path—but does promise His presence.
- How prayer becomes an act of dependence instead of self-reliance.
Scripture references
- Psalm 33:20
- Proverbs 30:5
- 2 Corinthians 12:8-9
- Psalm 23
- 1 Timothy 2:1
- Romans 8:26
Hi, I’m Dawn Tolbert, author of I’d Rather Die Than Obey, a women’s Bible study that journeys through the book of Jonah.
I’m also the host of the Unwrapping Rest podcast, where I encourage frazzled women to stop striving and unwrap God’s gift of rest.
I’m so glad you’re here.
Welcome to Episode 7, To Rest Is to Trust Our Shield.
I had the strangest dream a few months ago.
My husband, sister, and I were in the middle of a grassy field with a group of friends. We were making our way toward a city in the distance when problem after problem appeared in our path.
There were briars we had to climb through.
We had barely cleared those when we found the pathway washed out before us.
We scrambled across the muck only to find ourselves being attacked from all sides by people with clubs and sticks.
Part of our group started to scatter, running for cover, but I felt a strong urge to pray.
I called out to God for help, and in the way things sometimes happen in dreams, I could see myself and the whole scene at the same time.
As I prayed, something that looked like a force field spread out, covering first one of us and then the next.
I woke up then, but I haven’t forgotten that dream.
I’m not a believer in magical force fields or secret powers, but I am a believer in God, whom Scripture tells us is our Shield.
Psalm 33:20 says:
“Our soul waits for the Lord; He is our help and our shield.”
Proverbs 30:5 reminds us:
“He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.”
In my dream, protection came only after I asked God to provide it.
I needed to admit my need for God’s help and ask Him to help me.
That’s what the Bible means when it says we are to take refuge in God.
He protects us when we admit we need Him.
My dream isn’t a perfect metaphor.
Our prayers don’t mean our problems instantly disappear.
The apostle Paul wrote:
“Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this… But He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.'”
In Psalm 23, David reminds us that God is the Good Shepherd who walks with us even through the valley of the shadow of death.
Faith in God doesn’t mean we get to avoid hard things.
It means we can be confident that God is with us, caring for us and guiding us along the way.
We simply need to ask for His help and trust His promise to be our Shield.
But what if you don’t know how to pray?
As I’ve reflected on this dream, I’ve thought a lot about prayer.
I especially like The Message translation of 1 Timothy 2:1:
“The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know.”
Other translations use words like supplications, intercessions, and thanksgivings.
Commentaries spend a great deal of time explaining the differences between those terms.
I’m certainly not qualified to sort through all the technical distinctions, but I think The Message captures the heart beautifully:
Pray every way you know how.
The best part is that we don’t have to understand every type of prayer.
Sometimes we don’t even have the words.
Romans 8:26 gives us this wonderful promise:
“Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness, for we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.”
God has us covered.
Or maybe I should say…
Shielded.
This morning I also read Psalm 5:
“Let all who take refuge in You rejoice; let them shout for joy forever. May You shelter them… For You, Lord, bless the righteous one; You surround him with favor like a shield.”
Today, as the battles of life rage around us, we can find refuge in God.
We can rest in Him.
Call out in prayer and ask God to be your Shield.
Thank Him for the protection He gave yesterday, and trust Him with today and all your tomorrows.
Pray for the people He has placed in your life—friend and foe alike.
Let’s take refuge in God’s care and trust Him to be our perfect Shield.
Will you pray with me?
Heavenly Father, thank You for the promises of Scripture.
Thank You for hearing us when we pray and for being our Shield.
Today we come taking refuge in You.
The battles we face may feel exhausting or frightening, but nothing is too big for You.
We trust You to shelter us according to Your perfect will, and we trust You with the outcome.
Thank You for loving us and giving us hope through Your precious Son, Jesus.
In His name we pray.
Amen.
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