Listen to this post:
Many of us get scared. I remember years ago something bad happened to me and I was very scared. I was very glad to make it home into the safety of my house. When I came home and put the keys through the front door, I felt at peace.
But many times, we feel afraid even though we may be in a place of peace. Fear takes over us. We get scared, and confused. It is at those times it is especially good to remember that God is a safe place for us.
Daniel was arrested for worshipping the true God. The country where he was living did not allow people to worship the God of the Bible, if they did, they would be killed. They threw Daniel into the lion’s den and left him there to be eaten by the lions. In the morning, when they went to see what happened, they found Daniel alive. He was safe. “Not a scratch was found on him, for he had trusted in his God.” (Daniel 6:23). Daniel was in a safe place because He trusted in God.
David was a man who was very threatened. The king of the country he was in wanted to kill him. So, David was on the run. He was a refugee. He lived in caves in the country. He wandered through desert areas. He was always on the run because the king sent out his troops to find David, and to kill him. But David trusted in God. This is what David said: “In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, O Lord, will keep me safe.” (Psalm 4:8).
David had thousands of men trying to find him and kill him. But David was in a safe place. David trusted in the Lord.
Jesus was also feeling stress. He was about to be arrested and nailed to the cross. He went to a garden to pray. This is what we read about Jesus in the Bible: “he became anguished and distressed. He told them, “My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death.” (Matthew 26:37-38). He was not in a good place mentally and emotionally. He was thinking about the pain and suffering that He would have to endure. Not only would He face the physical pain of the cross, He would also have to suffer for the sins of the world. This is because Jesus died on the cross for our sins. He was punished so that we could be set free from the condemnation and hell that stood before us.
Jesus prayed and put Himself in the Hands of God. He felt peace because He said to His Father in heaven, not my will be done but your will be done. Jesus was in a safe place because He put His trust in the Father and accepted the will of the Father for His life.
John the Baptist was a believer in Jesus Christ as his Lord and Saviour. But John was put in prison because he believed in God and preached the righteousness of God to others. John was going to die. He sent his friends to Jesus to ask Him if He was the Saviour or if they should wait for someone else. This is what Jesus said:
“Go back to John and tell him what you have heard and seen— the blind see, the lame walk, those with leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is being preached to the poor.” And he added, “God blesses those who do not fall away because of me.” (Matthew 11:4-6).
John met his death is peace because he knew that he was trusting in the one who is the Son of God. John was in a safe place even though he was in a prison facing death.
Being in a safe place does not necessarily depend on your surroundings. You may be in a safe house, or in an embassy, or some other place that is safe. You may be in palace surrounding by great walls and an army. But God says that we should not put our trust in men, or powerful weapons, or money. God wants us to be safe in Him. He is our safe place wherever we are.
Maybe you are facing some fears and are feeling stressed out because you don’t know where you are going to live. Maybe you don’t know where your next meal is going to come from. Maybe there are evil men around you who want to harm you. In all these things, and in many more situations, trusting in God is a safe place.
My daughter Liz is very sick. She is in a wheelchair and cannot walk or talk. But when we go to visit her, we sing songs of love and peace. We sing songs about our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. This is when Liz smiles and is filled with joy. Her physical needs are taken of, but it is only God who can meet our deep need of feeling at peace and having joy. We are all created to worship God. We were all created to be a part of the family of God. We were all created to have a relationship with God our Father in heaven.
We can only have this relationship with God in heaven if we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour. Jesus took our sins upon Himself. He died on the cross for our sins so that we could be forgiven. It was His blood that was poured out on the cross for our sins. We have peace through accepting Him as our Saviour.
God is our safe place. He is our refuge. When we are in His presence, we feel safe. When we open our minds and hearts to Him, we feel at peace. We know that we are never alone when we accept Jesus Christ into our hearts and minds as our Lord and Saviour.
May the Lord bless each and every one of you. May He make His face to shine upon you and give you peace. Let’s pray.
Lord I pray for healing for those who need healing. I pray for peace upon those who need to have peace flow through their hearts and minds. I pray for the practical needs of food and shelter for all of us. I pray that your will, will be done in each of our lives. Amen.