In this verse, God offered Himself to Abram as shield for a reward. A shield is a piece of armor used as a protection against arrows, bullets, or other weapons. Usually it is worn on the arm and positioned in front. When God told Abram that He was his shield, it simply means He chose to be his defense. True to the promise, God protected him in all his journeys through the heathen territories. He even shielded his wife from being molested by Abimelech.

If God will be our shield, He must of necessity take the lead. When we follow His lead at all times, we will dwell in safety and not be afraid of any evil.

The high point of our meditation is that whatever God was to Abram, He is willing to be to his offspring. There are two sides to this; there are physical offspring of Abram as there are spiritual offspring, through faith. The promise that God gave to Abram was not only to him but also to his seed. Arguably then, God is a shield to all who are of the faith of Abraham. A seed of Abraham can boldly say, “No weapon formed against me shall prosper…” (Isaiah 54:17). What is to be added is that there is responsibility on our part, if God will be our shield indeed. Remember that a shield is usually in front. If God will be our shield, He must of necessity take the lead. When we follow His lead at all times, we will dwell in safety and not be afraid of any evil.