Finding protection in an unsafe world …

Although there are people reading this blog from all around the world, the large majority of us live in relative safety.

There are some who live in places where their lives may be at risk just because of their Christian faith, but for most of us, any dangers we face are nominal ones, such as embarking in traffic or crossing the street. That’s about as risky as our lives get — at least, from what we can see with our eyes.

BUT, every day, we have an enemy who is bent on destroying us …

“For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places,” Ephesians 6:12.

This spiritual warfare is a very real danger, and the enemy will be unrelenting until we draw our last breath. You and I don’t have the strength to endure or power to defend ourselves, but God knows that fact and ever so graciously offers Himself as the answer to our need:

“The Lord is my strength and shield. I trust him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving. – Psalm 28:7

Note how David in this psalm identifies the Lord as both his strength (enabling him to endure) and his shield (his protection against the attack of the enemy).

The idea of of God being our protection in an unsafe world is captured in this story printed in Our Daily Bread:

The early American Indians had a unique practice of training young braves. On the night of a boy’s thirteenth birthday, after learning hunting, scouting, and fishing skills, he was put to one final test. He was placed in a dense forest to spend the entire night alone. Until then, he had never been away from the security of the family and the tribe. But on this night, he was blindfolded and taken several miles away. When he took off the blindfold, he was in the middle of a thick woods and he was terrified! Every time a twig snapped, he visualized a wild animal ready to pounce. After what seemed like an eternity, dawn broke and the first rays of sunlight entered the interior of the forest. Looking around, the boy saw flowers, trees, and the outline of the path. Then, to his utter astonishment, he beheld the figure of a man standing just a few feet away, armed with a bow and arrow. It was his father. He had been there all night long.

God, in His omnipresence, is always with us, offering his protection as our shield against the enemy, and providing us with the strength to endure a world filled with spiritual warfare.

Is God your Protector?

Scotty