I was sharing with a friend how I’m grateful to God for life. I believe God is making me aware of some of the things that he is protecting me from as I drive around and as I go about my day-to-day. More than once I’ve experienced moments where he has shielded me from disaster. He has kept me safe, and I find myself becoming more appreciative of my safety.
That scripture in Psalm 91 where the psalmist says I will not fear the arrows that fly by day… I forget that these things are real. We see accidents on the road that are the result of driver negligence, or miscalculation; it could be that someone hits black ice and loses control of the vehicle; it could be a sudden car breakdown. We don’t consider these things as an arrow, but they are. If we are deafened and insensitive to the truth, whether avoiding these occasions or surviving them, we may not feel the need to pray against such occurrences. We need God to be the safety against these arrows that fly by day. Just because you don’t get hit, or never gotten hit, does not mean that these things are not happening.
In this month, I am thanking God for safety. I’m thanking God for being a shield and a fortress. A shield and a fortress from danger, from words, actions; from the emotions of people who are holding grudges or negative thoughts, or feelings towards me for one thing or another.
Recently, I was careless, and let’s say I left my refuge and fortress. My goal moving forward is to be conscious of God rather than being conscious of man. Hear God and not mind people and their emotions towards me. To mind people, for me, is to leave my place of refuge and safety. It’s not that I wish to be dismissive, but there are things that are said or done that make us captives of these negative feelings.
Things are not what they seem. People are not what they seem. It’s like I’m having to pay attention and notice things twice. But even in this, I have to remember not to take to heart every word that is spoken. Amazing that even when we listen, we have to discern what to hear. This keeps you safe from offense, from hurt, and from being enslaved through manipulation or deception by someone’s emotions.
Safety physically. Mentally. Emotionally. *You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, that’s the promise. I wish for all of us to be in perfect peace. May we walk through the contradictions, and challenges of life without surrendering our peace; in our quest for truth, for comfort, for achievement, for whatever it is we’re searching for; may we keep our mind on God. So that, no matter how hard the wind blows, we’ll remain standing, and after it blows, we’ll continue to stand.
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*Isaiah 26:3
