Safety in God: How Can We Trust Him When Others are Harmed?

Safety in God…?

It’s tough watching the news these days. Every bulletin seems to report on a natural disaster or terror attack. There have been earthquakes, hurricanes, infernos and floods. And, just recently, a gunman repeatedly fired on a crowd of concertgoers in the USA. They had nowhere to run. He killed more than fifty people and injured hundreds more. Tragically, innocent people die every day. How, therefore can we trust God for our safety?

While it is true that ‘bad things do happen to good people’, that is the exception rather than the rule. Christians are not exempt from pain and suffering, however, through our faith in Jesus, we have the strength to handle anything that comes our way. God’s grace is sufficient in all situations. Trusting in God is at the core of being a believer and that means standing in faith that He will come through for us no matter what.

Your safety matters to God

Throughout the Bible, we see God revealed as our Great Protector. One of His names is ‘Jehovah Nissi’, the Lord Our Banner. He knows our needs, including our need for protection against anything that would harm us. He longs to help us overcome our battles and has given us the opportunity to become ‘more than conqueror’s’. This does not mean we won’t face danger, but that we have the promise of victory. Three scriptures that affirm our safety in God are:

“Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.” (Psalm 34:19)
“The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and He knows those who trust in Him.” (Nahum 1:7)
“We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.” (2 Corinthians 4:8-9)

Safety in God’s Presence

Furthermore, those who walk intimately with God have the reassurance of Psalm 91. This is God’s promise of divine protection to those who are in daily communion with him.

“He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust’.” (Psalm 91:1)
“Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge, even the Most High, your dwelling place, no evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling.” (Psalm 91:9-10)
^“For He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways.” (Psalm 91:11)

It’s easy therefore to understand why many believers refer to this Psalm as their ‘divine insurance policy’. Clearly, those who are in tune with God will hear the Holy Spirit gently warning against danger, but as with all things relating to God, it is by His grace.

God fills us with joy and gives us a sense of peace and safety not found elsewhere. His joy is our strength, His peace passes understanding and His safety is eternal.

Peace and Safety

The world is desperately looking for peace and safety but they will only truly find it in God. They may talk about having peace and safety but this could be taken from them in a moment. Read 1 Thessalonians 5: 1-11 which is a timely warning, but also a huge encouragement.

“But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you… For when they say, ‘Peace and safety!’ then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman… But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you...

Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober… putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation. For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ... Therefore comfort each other.”

Beauty for ashes

What about those who have been harmed, bereaved or devastated? In addition to being our Great Protector, God is our Great Restorer. He is the only One who can turn around the most impossible, disastrous situations and cause them to work for our good. Scriptures offering solace to those who need to rebuild their lives after a disaster include:

“The Lord has anointed Me… to console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.” (Isaiah 61:1-3)
^“And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain…” (Revelation 21:4)
^“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. “(Romans 8:28)

For those who have lost loved ones Hope For Hurting Hearts is a brilliant documentary from Greg Laurie of Harvest Ministries that has featured on GOD TV. This film recognises that everyone has to deal with crises in life, including Christians. “Sometimes, the reality of life can seem unbearable, but we can rest in the knowledge that God loves us,” says Greg. “God weeps in our times of pain, and He can be glorified through suffering.” Narrated by Dr James Dobson, Hope for Hurting Hearts tells how Greg and Cathe Laurie, Jeremy Camp, Nick Vujicic, and their families dealt with times of trial.

https://youtu.be/j1PzOpUzYkA

God’s safety is eternal

In conclusion, God loves all people and gives each individual their fair share of talent and ability. He causes the sun to shine upon both believers and unbelievers and everyone has own particular challenges to face. We can choose to tackle these on our own or to trust in Him. As we give our lives over to God we have the strength to tackle anything that comes our way. He fills us with joy and gives us a sense of peace and safety that cannot be found anywhere else. His joy is our strength, His peace passes understanding and His safety is eternal.

For other blog posts from GOD TV relevant to this topic, read:

This article was written by Al Gibson who is a Christian journalist who has worked for GOD TV for many years. He is also the author of several books aimed at helping people overcome obstacles.