Safe?

Psalms 4:8 - I will both lie down in peace, and sleep;
For You alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.

In a recent magazine, this was a comment about a previous article.

"Marvin Olasky's comment - 'there are dangers all over, and we are always safest when we follow Christ, wherever He leads' (Urban Calling - World Oct. 13). I am working at a school in South Asia that was attached by terrorists back in 2002, and I get so tired of people who think I would be safer staying at home. Most of the time I feel safer shopping in Islamabad than I do in Houston. I told the kids I was with while our school was under attack, 'God called each of us here, we are in the center of His will, and there is no safer place to be, I don't care how many bullets are flying around outside.' And where do we get the idea that God wants us to be 'safe', at least in this life?" - Nancy Stewart Murree, Pakistan

I loved this comment. No, I don't live in violent area where I have to fear for the life of my family. I am thankful I live in a "safe" place. Safe is such a relative term, isn't it? I hope that if I did live in the war ridden areas of Africa or the middle-east that I would feel safe in the arms of Christ. We never know what today brings, even here in the United States. Even here we deal with terrible tragedies such as the Amish school shootings, the sniper incidences in Maryland, DC, and Virginia, and even weather related tragedies like Katrina. Only by the grace of God has my life not been taken.

We currently live in the city. Cities are rarely ever considered the "safest" place to live. We're surrounded by people, which leads to higher volumes of theft, violence, and other forms of destruction. I do believe that if we are following in the Lord's will we will be safe. That doesn't mean that He will keep us from physical death, but we have the assurity of eternal life. John 3:16 says, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." What a wonderful promise. With an eternal perspective on our life, we can focus on the Lord's plan for us without fear.