How to be safe in a dangerous world

Dear friends

This is a dangerous world. The times we live in are particularly dangerous. For people without God, if they ever stop to think about it, it must be terrifying.

But God repeatedly exhorts His people to not fear and to have peace -- shalom in Hebrew, which also means total well-being. I speak shalom to you today.

God has given many promises to His people, including promises of safety. Behind the reliability of God’s promises is His own perfect integrity. He is not a man that He can lie. And His promises are for all of His people, all the time, not just some of His people, some of the time.

However, God’s promises are not automatic. Like salvation, they all must be "appropriated," by faith. That is why some people may say, "Well, that didn't work for me." That attitude and negative confession blocked the promise. The anti-confession crowd has thrown out the baby with the bath water. It works both positively and negatively. "Death and life are in the power of the tongue...(Proverbs 1821).

"For no matter how many promises God has made, they are ‘Yes’ in Christ. And so through him the ‘Amen’ is spoken by us to the glory of God" (2 Corinthians 120. NIV). Note the word "spoken," meaning confessed. His promises are all "yes," but we must speak the "amen"; that is, we must believe them, agree with them, confess them, act upon them, and relentlessly stand upon them, come what may, by faith. Then they are ours.

It is important that God’s people be His "mouthpieces," speaking and actuating His Word into the world around us. When we do, angels are released to perform His Word. " Praise the LORD, you his angels, you mighty ones who do his bidding, who obey his word" (Palm 10320).

Below are God’s promises for the safety of His people in this troubled world. The only thing God’s people are not promised protection from is persecution and martyrdom due to witnessing for Christ, a great privilege. But even then, we will be protected until God’s appointed time. For example, the Lord Jesus slipped away from danger until His appointed time on the cross. Paul was also spared until he had finished the course.

Always, let us believe, agree with, confess, act upon, radically stand upon, and appropriate God’s promises of safety as contained in His holy Word. One of my favorites is Psalm 91. Read it often, out loud. Read and claim its promises over family and loved ones. Psalm 27 is another good one.

PSALM 91 (KJV)

1HE THAT DWELLETH IN THE SECRET PLACE (Strong’s covering, shelter, hiding place) OF THE MOST HIGH SHALL ABIDE UNDER THE SHADOW (Strong’s shade, as protection) OF THE ALMIGHTY. All born-again believers are "in" Christ; however, there is that special secret place of shelter we can enter, by faith, and find protection. Crawl up into the big, comfy lap of your Father, lay your head on His bosom, and you will find it.

2 I WILL SAY (note the word "say," or confess) OF THE LORD, HE IS MY REFUGE AND MY FORTRESS MY GOD; IN HIM WILL I TRUST. That confession is important. It could not be more clear.

3SURELY HE SHALL DELIVER THEE FROM THE SNARE (trap) OF THE FOWLER (trapper), AND FROM THE NOISOME (wicked) PESTILENCE (or plague, or bio-terrorism).

4HE SHALL COVER (fence about) THEE WITH HIS FEATHERS, AND UNDER HIS WINGS SHALT THOU TRUST In the height of the Cold War, a pastor told me this was his bomb shelter. HIS TRUTH SHALL BE THY SHIELD AND BUCKLER.

5THOU SHALT NOT BE AFRAID FOR THE TERROR BY NIGHT; NOR FOR THE ARROW (missile?) THAT FLIETH BY DAY;

6NOR FOR THE PESTILENCE THAT WALKETH IN DARKNESS; NOR FOR THE DESTRUCTION THAT WASTETH AT NOONDAY.

7A THOUSAND SHALL FALL AT THY SIDE, AND TEN THOUSAND AT THY RIGHT HAND; BUT IT SHALL NOT COME NIGH THEE.

8ONLY WITH THINE EYES SHALT THOU BEHOLD AND SEE THE REWARD OF THE WICKED.

9BECAUSE THOU HAST MADE THE LORD, WHICH IS MY REFUGE, EVEN THE MOST HIGH, THY HABITATION;

10THERE SHALL NO EVIL BEFALL THEE, NEITHER SHALL ANY PLAGUE COME NIGH THY DWELLING.

11FOR HE SHALL GIVE HIS ANGELS CHARGE OVER THEE, TO KEEP THEE IN ALL THY WAYS (halleluyah!).

12THEY SHALL BEAR THEE UP IN THEIR HANDS, LEST THOU DASH THY FOOT AGAINST A STONE.

13THOU SHALT TREAD UPON THE LION AND ADDER THE YOUNG LION AND THE DRAGON SHALT THOU TRAMPLE UNDER FEET Satan is beneath our feet!

14BECAUSE HE HATH SET HIS LOVE UPON ME, THEREFORE WILL I DELIVER HIM I WILL SET HIM ON HIGH, BECAUSE HE HATH KNOWN MY NAME.

15HE SHALL CALL UPON ME, AND I WILL ANSWER HIM I WILL BE WITH HIM IN TROUBLE; I WILL DELIVER HIM, AND HONOUR HIM.

16WITH LONG LIFE WILL I SATISFY HIM, AND SHEW HIM MY SALVATION. In these last two verses, God repeatedly says "I will." He will.

God bless you,

Jim

See "The World’s Greatest Truths" Web site at http//www.oocities.org/bramlett2000