It is common among Christians to talk about spiritual warfare and Satan attacking us. When we know we are God’s beloved, it is easy to understand why we come under attack, especially when we are doing our good Lord’s work. Recently, while praying for a dear friend who is going through a rough patch and hoping that her faith is keeping her strong through the trials she faces, I was struck by the realization that no matter how spent, tired, or afraid we are when going through tough times, we are still safe. My friend is God’s own. He will keep her safe.
“But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one.”
-2 Thessalonians 3:3
Sometimes our trials are not of our own doing, but other times they are. No matter the root cause, when we visualize ourselves safe in God’s shelter, it is comforting. Imagine a baby sitting contentedly in her mother’s lap. A mother who loves her child deeply and will ward off any danger that threatens to come near her. As long as the baby keeps her eyes on her mother, peace washes over her. Happy, content, and worry free. But when her eyes begin to wander, she sees things that frighten her. The moment she cries out, her mother is there, comfort is immediate, and danger is averted.
I imagine our situation is very similar. We keep our eyes on Jesus and peace reigns. But the moment we look away and get distracted by shiny baubles, Satan steps in. And once we find ourselves in trouble, all we need to do is cry out to our good Lord and He will swoop in and rescue us. It may not always feel quick enough. But His help is guaranteed the moment we ask.
“So He said, ‘Come.’ And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, ‘Lord, save me!’ And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, ‘O you of little faith, why did you doubt?’ And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.”
-Matthew 14:29-32
There are countless stories I could share about starting out with my eyes firmly on Jesus, only to be distracted by whatever trinket the world threw my way, whether it was a responsibility, an escape from responsibility, or the allure of a shortcut. You name it. Sometimes it feels like it is too late. You watch it happen in slow motion, sinking fast before you can stop it.
About a couple of years ago, I found myself getting drawn into the company of a person who had strayed from her walk with Jesus. I thought I could influence her back onto the narrow path. I spent a reasonable amount of time with her, and before I even knew it, we were doing things that took me away from what I should have been doing. More time socializing over wine, more gossiping, and less time on the activities that would have kept me grounded. I am ashamed to say that her sway over me toward the dark side was stronger than my sway over her toward the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
I can hear you gasp. Fair enough. This story does not end well. When I realized that my weekends and weeknights were being sabotaged, I decided to call it quits. What I uncovered was a banshee. She flew into a violent rant, spun up stories about me, and caused me a great deal of heartache, leaving me to clean up the lies and false accusations she lobbed at me. Talk about sinking in a storm.
It took many months to recover from the damage. I was prepared to never make another friend. But God had other plans. He healed me, taught me discernment, and put me back on the path to making friends and trusting others, all while that work remains beautifully in progress. Jehovah Rapha. Here I am, hoping never to take my eyes off Jesus again, but knowing that He will rescue me anyway. If you are going through a storm today, keep your eyes on Him and trust that He will reach out His hand and put you back in the boat. God bless you.
Dear God,
Thank You for providing me the comfort of Your protection. Please teach me to run every thought and action by You so that I may be obedient and work toward glorifying You. I pray in Your precious name, Jesus. Amen.