Does God Promise Safety?
As we navigate through a world that seems to have danger lurking on every corner, are we assured that God promises safety? Does the Bible give us the formula to stay out of harm’s way? Is there a powerful prayer that will guard our loved ones? In my heart-of-hearts, I want to believe that God will keep my loved ones safe.
Can anyone relate?
I wonder if that’s how Timothy’s mother and grandmother felt, as they watched him enter the ministry at a time when the persecution of Christians was paramount. These women, who were commended for their genuine faith, most assuredly prayed for Timothy’s safety, but I imagine they prayed for Timothy’s faith more than anything else. The lesson for us is that the security of our souls is worth far more than the safety of our lives.
As young Timothy joined the good fight, Paul, his spiritual mentor and father-figure advised him:
Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God… (2 Timothy 1:8)
Share in the sufferings? Share?!
It sounds almost as if Paul were inviting Timothy to a friendly round of paintball!
But then I read the intense details of Paul’s hardships, and IÂ am faced with the reality of human suffering.
Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness–besides the other things, what comes upon me daily; my deep concern for all the churches. (2 Corinthians 11:25-28)Â
Isn’t that the most perilous run-on sentence you’ve ever read?!
So, if God doesn’t guarantee our physical safety, what does He guarantee?
The Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one. (2 Thessalonians 3:3)
Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand. (Isaiah 41:10)
Let all those rejoice who put their trust in You; let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them; let those also who love Your name be joyful in You. For You, O Lord will bless the righteous; with favor, You will surround him as with a shield. (Psalm 5:11-12)
From these 3 verses, we are assured:
- God guards us from the evil one.
- God strengthens and helps us.
- God uphold us with His righteous right hand.
- God defends us.
- God blesses the righteous with favor.
- God surrounds us as with a shield.
No matter what the trial, we can still say, at the end of the day, that God is good.
When my daughter was born, we were ecstatic over our darling, dark-haired girl. But our joy lasted only a minute before the nurse took her from my arms and called in a team of people.
Our baby was gasping for air.
Through a tumultuous night, as Hannah was intubated and kept in the NICU, we waited, as tests were run and diagnoses were thrown our way. The CT scan showed a mass, located above her soft pallet, that was coming down into her throat and partially blocking her airway. The doctor on call threw out the possibility that the mass could actually be Hannah’s brain coming down between unfused bones at the base of her skull.
We were heartbroken.
Come to find out, the accurate diagnosis, was that Hannah had a benign tumor called a teratoma. It was basically a random group of cells that had grown along with her in utero. She was taken by ambulance to Denver Children’s Hospital where we faced 2 intense weeks of uncertainties.
There was a possibility that Hannah would never be able to speak or swallow. There was fear of severe nerve damage to her tiny face. Ultimately, there was a risk of death.
At the lowest point of that trial, I found myself standing over her hospital bassinet. Her face was so swollen from the surgery, her tongue was hanging out of her mouth. Her skin was deathly white from the blood loss. I didn’t even recognize her.
As I wept, I sensed a very clear question deep in my spirit.
“Will you still be able to say that God is good if He chooses to take her?”
That thought bombarded my fragile heart and rocked my faith to the core.
I argued.
I wept.
I begged.
Then, as I leaned over to kiss my girl, tubes coming from her nose, mouth, and forehead, I began to sing over her in the scarcest of voice.
God is so good
God is so good
God is so good
He’s so good to me.
I sang that little chorus over and over until my heart finally surrendered Hannah to God’s will. I gave up trying to keep her safe, trying to make her better, and trying to deny that God might take her home.
“Even if you take her, Lord, I will still believe You are good.”
Did I stop praying for Hannah’s healing? No. I prayed harder than ever, enlisting prayer warriors from all over the nation. Later that day, I pulled out my Bible and tried to read through swollen, tear-filled eyes. This is the passage God lead me to…
“Be still, for the day is holy; do not be grieved.” Nehemiah 8:11
I remember blinking through the fog of tears, reading and re-reading that verse. Could it be, that the Lord of the universe was speaking words of comfort to me?
At that moment, I made a commitment to God; that I would raise Hannah in the instruction of His Word. I promised to share God’s truths with her and always remind her of His sovereign hand over her life. And my faith was built that day. It was built through a painful decision to trust. I couldn’t promise to keep her safe. I could only promise to be a mama of genuine faith.
I suppose Timothy’s mother had moments of fear, as her son joined Paul and began to share in his sufferings. But in genuine faith, I believe she had surrendered his life to the Lord, knowing He was a good, good Father.
Will we still say, at the end of the day, that God is good? Or, will we allow the painful consequences of a fallen world to snuff out our faith like a candle deprived of oxygen?
As I type this, I hear a song in the background:
Thy kingdom come Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
And there it is.
The answer for us, my friends.
There is no guarantee for our physical safety, in a world where mankind takes it upon themselves to step outside of God’s perfect will; where people decided to do whatever they like, based on their own inclinations. Sin began its destructive cycle the moment Eve doubted God’s Sovereignty and acted on it.
We are left with TRUST.
Thy kingdom come Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven…
God may not promise us safety, but He does promise us eternal protection.
For You have been a shelter for me, a strong tower from the enemy. I will abide in Your tabernacle forever; I will trust in the shelter of Your wings. Psalm 61:3-4
Recently, I found this precious encouragement from author and speaker Jennifer Rothschild. She shares wisdom from the Proverbs about When It Hurts and You Don’t Know What to Do.
Are you longing for the promise of safety? Are you having a hard time committing your loved ones fully to the Lord? It’s hard, isn’t it? If you were able to relate to this post today, leave a reply in the comments. I’d love to know how you deal with fears for your family’s safety. Perhaps, together, we can join together in prayer and be like Timothy’s mother and grandmother…genuine women of faith.
How can I pray for you today?
Always an email away,
Jennifer
*If you still haven’t grabbed a copy of my eBook, Prayer Worrier: Turning Every Worry into Powerful Prayer, you can get that here.Â
I have been struggling with fear and anxiety over gun violence in America – every day, I fear for my family’s safety, especially my new darling niece. Along with the fear was this sense of powerlessness because I had to admit there is nothing direct I can do to keep them safe no matter how much I try. I concluded that all I can do is continue to spread gun control awareness as I have been, and pray. Tonight, as I was praying for their safety again, I felt a corner of my heart begrudging God for not guaranteeing our physical safety (it has to do with my college roommate lose her brother to an accident). I suddenly felt like praying for my family’s safety is is useless because God could allow a family member to die, as my roommate’s brother was, no matter how much I beg Him to intervene. So I searched online for answers, and happened to find this page. I am immensely grateful to you for what you wrote and to God for how He led me here. Thank you – you’ve answered something that had been plaguing my mind for years. I know I am going to be reading this again and again whenever fear surrounds me. God bless you and please continue to do what you do. Your words transform people’s lives as they transformed mine tonight.
Thank you, Esther. I am so sorry for the fear and anxiety that is plaguing you and many people (including myself at times). Never stop praying and asking for God’s covering and peace! He truly is with us, even in dark times. I am grateful for your comment and blessed to pray for you today.
Jennifer
Thank you so much Jennifer for this message, I received it today through Cross Walk and what perfect timing!! Back story: Myself and my business are being “socially bashed” online with horrific hate speech because I stood for my faith as a Christian. I appreciatively declined to design a website to promote a coven (noun: a gathering of witches). I explained through my email how I am a Christian and my business is a faith-based business and stated we wouldn’t be a good fit. It just went viral. Defamation of character through every portal they have been able to find. Hundreds and hundreds of bashing comments…
These past 6 days of persecution have been such a rollercoaster. Moment by moment fighting the enemy’s emotional/mental attacks. Wanting to practice my right to defend myself yet remaining silent. Learning to trust God. Focusing on the big picture. The eternal picture. The battle is hard but the rewards are an Eternal reward. You are so right, God does not promise our safety but what He does promise has more eternal value than all the wicked social bashing in this world. Praise GOD! 🙂
This persecution does not feel good but what does feel good is the sense of pride and ownership in standing up proclaiming my faith in God regardless of the outcome.
Thank you for these reminders. Thank you for the Scripture references. These are food to my mind and soul right now.
Blessings to you Jennifer. Blessings on every word you share in His name, may it find it’s way to the hearts of His children.
God Bless you ♥
I am so sorry for the online turmoil you are facing. I’ve been there! People feel free to say all kinds of things through media, even if they wouldn’t say it in person. I am praying against all attacks from the enemy as you stand firm on the holy Word of God and cling to His promises! Remember, people will lash out at what they do not understand or what goes against their flesh. Pray hard for every person who bashes you and remember Jesus’ words: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Love in Christ, Jennifer
I’ve always been battling whether God is real or not, due to the lack of understanding the evil and suffering in this world. Ive been having this heart condition since 16 and it seems to have gotten progressively worse now 19 turning 20. I just found meaning to my life I decided what I want to do with my career, and how I want to enjoy my time here on earth with exploring new places and enjoying it with family. For the longest time I didn’t have hope in much of anything, now I’m facing another challenge, and it makes me question “why?”. I’m reading so many articles and asking questions to people I know that I believe are strong with God, because I really need and want God in my life, I want purpose and to know that there is a rock by my side. The more I discover I’m starting to understand that unfortunately we won’t fully understand suffering , there is numerous reasons why it may happen. We just don’t have the capability to understand, it all comes down to faith, our lives, the end of our suffering here on earth is not guaranteed, but our souls are. So I’m going to try and make the best of my situation, I ask for prayer to help guide me into understanding God more , that my condition will be in Gods hands that in some way my purpose will be fulfilled in life, no matter how my future turns up. Thank you for taking the time to write this.
Thank you so much for reading, Marissa! You are right about not understanding suffering but living in faith and trust in God. I appreciate you taking the time to share part of your journey!
Be encouraged today,
Jennifer
I went searching for an article such as yours written above. I was in turmoil about whether God guarantees our safety or not. It helped me a lot to read that God is good despite the outcome of our physical safety. I was getting frustrated reading devotionals where I was encouraged to trust God to keep me & loved ones safe. We live in a world where we are not immune from tragedy no matter how hard we pray for safety. That is a concept I still struggle with deeply. I’m reminded of Daniel’s friends who were cast into the fiery furnace. They said Our God is able to deliver us, but even if he does not we will still not bow down to the idol. They were acknowledging that God was able to keep them safe but were professing faith even if he did not. Thank you for your article.. it has given me some relief in my ongoing struggle.
Thank you, Cheri! I am so glad the blog helped. I struggle with the same thing. Oh, how I want my loved ones to be safe from harm! Grateful to hear from you. I appreciate you taking the time to comment.
Sincerely,
Jennifer
Oh Jennifer! Just thank you for sharing this! I continue to stay connected with my family spiritually through prayer, and your blogs, and my spiritual journaling & daily devotions from CWC. I miss my church family so much & sometimes I feel very alone surrounded by so many people (passengers)… trying to share a little of His light through my cracks. Sometimes I second-guess leaving my loved ones behind, but I feel like I’m fulfilling my calling by loving a hurt world in a grander scale. But my family continues to have their individual struggles with the pain and addictions and struggles so common in this world. I know their walk is their own, but I hope my prayers for God’s will in their lives is the true walk of my faith. And believing that He loved them more than me and they were His first. He gave them to me for a little while…the rest is His work. I love you always, sister. Please know your gifts in song and writing have blessed me beyond words! Thank you ??
Thank you so much, Tennie! I miss you, my friend. And I know you are sharing the light of Jesus with many, many people. I am lifting you and your family up this morning. Yes, their walk is their own, but our continual prayers are certainly heard by our loving Father. God bless you, girlfriend!!!
Jennifer, just got through reading your blog and it touched my heart in such a way. I have been struggling with stress and worry and hopelessness concerning my 29 yr old granddaughter, Ashlee. I know God is in control and my prayer each day is Lord, protect her. Bring her back to us. She professes to be a Christian and we have seen evidences of that in her life…..just not right now. I am concerned for her life as she has been doing drugs for years now and is talking suicide. She won’t go to rehab as she says she knows what they will say, she already has the tools. I am thinking she hasn’t hit rock bottom yet but she is close. She willingly gave up her 3 children so they are safe but I need prayer warriors at this time to remember her daily. God has been so good to us but my human side comes out and I want results Right Now. I would appreciate any advice or help from you and those in your circle. Thanks!
Absolutely, Jackie! Praying for Ashley now. I totally understand your struggle with the “human side.” I struggle with that as well. Covering you both in prayer…
Timely. Just got done praying for my daughter who is in urgent care for a migraine , and I am not with her. She’s over stressed with college and ROTC . Worried about her health and future safety in the military. But she is saved. God is good. Thanks
Yes, God is good, Gloria! And He’s got your girl! I am lifting up a prayer for her right now.