While praying with a friend earlier, God gave me a picture in my mind that was to greatly encourage her, but I feel like it is also for someone else as well.
I saw a person holding a shield which appeared larger than the person. The person was crying, flustered and nervous, and shook under the weight of the shield - but with determination held it up none the less. And as the arrows flew and the lies and fears attempted to penetrate, nothing could get past the shield. The longer the person held up the shield the stronger the person's arms became.
Soon an army came around the person, each Soldier linking arms with one another, ready to take on anything that came toward the one holding the shield. And the person holding the shield lifted their head toward heaven, and light and glory covered the person's face!
Psalm 3:3 says that the Lord is my shield and the lifter of my head. At first I thought the shield in this picture represented the shield of faith mentioned in Ephesians 6 - which would be a good application as well - but I realized that the shield was actually the Lord.
As we cling to Him, even in our weakness and even in our suffering and even through salty tears, He keeps us safe. He is our protection. Some translations say that He is a shield that surrounds us - He even sends help from Heaven to stand around us and keep us safe (Psalm 91). God is also the lifter of our heads. He is our confidence, our safety, our provider. In Christ, we have everything.