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Safe

 

The world can be a dangerous place. From acts of terror to natural disaster to deadly disease, the thought of a peaceful, carefree life can seem like pure fantasy. Citizens in every nation are instructed to be guarded and vigilant. Don’t travel here. Don’t go there. It’s no wonder that stress and concern mark the faces of people who live not knowing whether the next calamity that strikes will affect them.

It’s true, every person should be attentive to his or her surroundings, and wisdom should be exercised regarding where we go and what we do. But is there really any way to guarantee the safety of ourselves and our loved ones? Is there a way to avoid with certainty the next crazed killer who chooses to prey on innocent lives? Is there any way to really live in peace?

There is.

Listen to these words from the Bible.

This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him. For he will rescue you from every trap and protect you from deadly disease. Psalms 91:2-3 (NLT)

The God of the Bible offers His followers many benefits, including the promise of supernatural protection. We’ll talk in a moment about how to experience this divine protection, but first, there’s something else you need to know: something else from which you need to be protected that’s more terrible and frightening than any tragedy here on earth. You need to be protected from a place called Hell.

Hell is a place of eternal torment: a real place with real people. The most horrible day on Earth is nothing compared to a single day in Hell. Although many  go there, no one needs to go there. Hell was never created for man, yet when a person rejects God’s gift of salvation there’s no where else for them to spend eternity. Protection form the eternal fires of Hell is available for you right now. This protection doesn’t cost us anything, for our eternal security has been paid for by God’s son, Jesus Christ. Learn more.

For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 (NLT)

Receiving God’s love by accepting Christ’s payment for our sin is how a person escapes Hell and spends eternity with God in Heaven. That’s not all that happens, however, when a person receives Christ. Eternal life starts here in this life.

The believer gets a new life – a new start – and their new life provides countless benefits, including the protection of which we spoke earlier. 

God’s protection is all-encompassing; like a force field that surrounds our life on every side. Yet, this protection doesn’t work apart from our involvement. There are things we must do to enjoy God’s supernatural protection. I’ve listed some of the most important things below.

 

Speak Right Words

Just like we would turn on an alarm system in our home before leaving the house, the Christian activates their spiritual security system with the words they speak. We must speak words of faith: words that agree with God’s Word. Don’t say things like, You never know what might happen. Or, When it’s your time to go there’s nothing you can do. Instead, talk about how you’re always in the right place at the right time. Talk about how the Lord is your place of safety. Say things similar to what God has said about your life in Psalms 91:16:

With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation. Psalms 91:16

Speaking right words allows God to bring His protection and blessing to your life. Speaking words of faith helps keep you safe.
Follow the Holy Spirit

For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. Romans 8:14

The Spirit of God comes to live within the believer when he or she receives Christ. A big part of the Holy Spirit’s job is to lead us through life. He leads us into God’s plan for our future but He also leads us in our daily life. Among other things, He leads us into safety.

The Christian who will learn to look to the Holy Spirit will receive His guidance and help. He will prompt you on the inside when there’s danger ahead. He might deal with you, saying, Don’t go right now. Wait here a little while longer. He knows what’s ahead and, if something is happening that could adversely affect you, He’ll tell you, helping you to avoid difficulty and tragedy.

When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. John 16:13 (NLT)

 

Obey what God is telling you

God can’t protect you if you won’t listen. Those who override His leadings are forced to live without His protection. The force field that surrounds you works only where you’re supposed to be. It remains in place only if you are doing what you are supposed to be doing. If you drift off into disobedience, you get out from under God’s protection. If you stay in obedience, you stay protected.

When God deals with a person not to go somewhere, it’s often in the form of a slight warning on the inside: a subtle lack of peace that warns us to stop and consider a different direction.

The Christian who chooses to reason away the leadings of the Lord is exposed: an easy target for the enemy. If God deals with you not to go somewhere, don’t go. If He deals with you to stay home or keep the kids home from school on a particular day, just do it. What if nothing happens? That’s the point. We want an uneventful life where tragedies are concerned. Our job is not to try and figure everything out, our job is to obey.

 

Live in peace, not fear

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7 (NLT)

The Christian has an advantage over the unbeliever in that they have the ability to live in peace, all the time.

By living close to God, the believer can experience the blessing of His peace and presence, even when things are out of control in the world around us. They can live with the assurance that they are protected – safe and secure – as they follow God. They can live at ease, without concern or anxiety for the safety of themselves or their children. The Christian who walks closely with God truly has nothing to fear.

God will do His part, protecting us from harm, if we will do our part: remaining close to Him. We must live conscious of His peace. We must obey His directions. We must follow the leadings of His Spirit. And, we must speak faith-filled words. If we’ll consistently do these things, we can live safe in an unsafe world