Proverbs 29 "Kept In Safety, But Not Safe"

"Fear of man will prove to be a snare,
but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe." Proverbs 29:20

Throughout scripture we are told to trust in the Lord and we will be safe, prosperous and healed. But when there are endless calamities going on around us life can get dark and discouraging. We take our eyes off of Him for a moment and this is what we see and come to fear:

Natural disasters that devastate a whole city. They weren't kept safe.

Christians being slaughtered and persecuted. They weren't kept safe.

Vehicular accidents, boating accidents, trains derailing, planes hijacked, sex trafficking, diseases taking lives everyday. They weren't kept safe.

So why all the promises of being kept safe and protected?

Being safe in the Lord does not necessarily mean safe from all disasters on this earth. God never promised a life free of trials and sorrows. But He does promise He will be with us every step of the way.

When we take our eyes off Him and the ultimate victory, we become trapped in the snare called fear. It ruins our faith and trust in Him. It ruins our reassurance that He is in control and has completely forgotten us.

He hasn't.

The God who created you, unique in your own way, the only one He made like you, will never forget you. So when you are staring at some great calamity in your life, be reassured. Know that trusting in Him, trusting that only His ways will prevail, means He will keep you safe in the Lord. He will not let you come to utter ruin. Utter ruin is eternal damnation. That's what He keeps you safe from. That's the safety He keeps you in.

Trials are meant to test our faith. Our God wants to know that we are loyal. He wants to know that we love Him enough to let Him fight for us, and take care of us. He wants to know that we are not just fair weather Christians.

Hang in there! He won't let us come to complete ruin. Don't lose faith. Remember the ultimate battle is not with people and what they can do, but with "spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms" Eph.6:12 Look to the Lord. Rise above and see the greater battle. Know that He will keep you and you will experience eternal safety when you trust in Him, and Him alone.

"Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him." James 1:12