All to Him I Owe

Beneth and I have personally experienced two home break-ins during our marriage. Those break-ins created a series of little habits in our lives like always keeping one light on, double-checking locks when we go to bed at night, and quickly looking at all the windows as soon as we walk into our home to see if they have been opened. We do those things because those break-ins have created a sense of vulnerability in us.

Vulnerability is the sense that I have a limited ability to protect myself from harm. The terrorist attack on 9/11 reminded our nation that we are vulnerable. The bombs that went off during last week’s marathon reminded us again of our vulnerability. We are also reminded of our vulnerability as we read our local newspapers describing various crimes that have occurred to people who live where we do and live like we do.

The sense of vulnerability creates a common question among us: “How much personal protection should I have in my life?” The secondary questions that follow that question are questions like how many guns should a person own, how big a security system should we have on our home, and should I buy a German shepherd or a Rottweiler?

Proverbs 21:30-31 gives us a starting point to help us answer these questions regarding security and personal protection. It says, ” [v. 30] There is no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against the LORD. [vs.31] The horse is prepared against the day of battle: but safety is of the LORD.” Verse 30 simply reminds us to never fight against God, and verse 31 reminds us to never fight without God.

Owning a gun or having a security system on your home is not inherently wrong. But we cannot place a higher level of trust in those types of things than we do in God. If we do trust those things more than we trust God, we are demonstrating a fight against God. If we trust those things because we doubt God’s ability to protect us, than we are trying to fight without Him.

I heard someone say this one time, “I’ve done all I can do; now I guess it is time to start trusting Him.” He articulated what we often practice. We prepare ourselves, and then begin to trust God. Preparing for the day of battle is not wrong, but I must be trusting God while I’m preparing, not just when I’ve finished preparing.

When we contemplate the question, “How much protection should I have in my life?” I want you to remember this little principle.

Prepare with moderation while trusting God

for the duration.

 Vulnerability can often produce fear in the lives of believers. Remember as a Christian that safety is not the absence of danger but rather the presence of God. We are never left alone or overlooked by God. Don’t let fear paralyze you and keep you from doing the will of God this week. The safest place to be is in the will of God. The most dangerous place to be is out of the will of God.

Yesterday during the Boston Marathon a victory line became a line of destruction. The horrific pictures of blood stained sidewalks, smoke, and injured people fill our mind. It will be a topic of conversation both today and many days ahead. People without a Biblical worldview will quickly conclude that this is simply another piece of evidence supporting the absence of God’s existence or an absence of God’s control over the world.

In Luke 13:1-5 we find a text to use as a guide for us as believers during times like this. Christ used the “headlines” plucked from the news of that day to create a conversation with unbelievers. In the conversation He answered their questions and brought other news events to their attention. Throughout the conversation He did not allow the tragedy of loss to distract Him from the need of the living.

I urge us to not forget the living who are around us today. The people around us are not just bodies with personalities. They are bodies with souls that will one day spend eternity somewhere. The events of yesterday remind us that death may come to people at a time when and where they least expect it. Life truly is a vapor (James 4:14).

The Gospel is most precious during times like this. It is the clearest evidence that God does truly care for mankind and that He is in control. We have an opportunity before us to present the gospel to souls that may be more attentive then they were two days ago. We have an opportunity to see the power of the gospel at work in the lives of people who believe. We have an opportunity to see God take what seems like a line of destruction (the marathon) and once again turn it into a line of victory through the lives that are gloriously changed through the gospel during this time. Let’s seize the opportunity!

I’m praying today for the families of those whose loved ones were lost or seriously injured. I’m praying for the safety that is only of the Lord for my country, city, and family. I’m also praying for opportunities to give the gospel. — Pastor Ron (John 16:33)