When I finally reached Houston, the sun was starting to set and the rain was beginning to fall. I had never driven in this city before. The roads, ramps and districts were all very new to me. It also happened I was staying in a pretty sketchy part of town: Everything was gated, there were homeless people everywhere, and I even heard screaming on one street. To make matters worse, as night fell and the rain persisted, road visibility began to drop severely in this dingy district.
Then, it hit me. Or rather, I hit it. As I accelerated to get onto the highway, the on-ramp split away from the service road—divided only by a small median. I couldn’t see it. But I could definitely feel it mercilessly pound the underbelly of my car.
I quickly pulled into a shady parking lot. Worried, I sprawled onto the wet, vile asphalt and assessed the damage. But I had no idea what to look for. If something were broken, I would have no idea how to fix it. I had no one to call and no one to pick me up. I would be stranded—alone—in a dangerous part of town, in the rainy dark of the night.
I began to feel something I had never felt before. This was no ordinary term paper stress or preperformance pressure. This was panic.
In that moment, it became abundantly clear just how much we need God’s protection. It can be easy to forget that when times are good. But it doesn’t take much—perhaps just a dark rainstorm and an unfamiliar highway—to remind us how vitally dependent we are on God’s protection.
The Storm, the Ship and the Snake
That evening, I thought a lot about Paul’s journey to Rome—a trip that was much more life-threatening. Yet Paul’s reaction was impressively calm, simply because of his unshakable faith in God’s power to protect.
1. When it came time to depart for Rome, was there a risk in setting sail? Did Paul warn the crew of this risk? Acts 27:9-11. Did the crew face any danger? Verses 14-19.
Atonement was past, meaning winter was now setting in. This would be a dangerous time for sailing in the Mediterranean. Paul, a prisoner, knew the lives of the ship, cargo and crew were in jeopardy. However, the centurion set sail in spite of Paul’s weather forecast.
2. When the tempest hit, what was the reaction of the crew? Verse 20. What did Paul tell them? Verses 21-25.
If you’ve ever traveled in a violent storm, you know how fearsome it can be! After several days of fighting this particular tempest, the crew had given up hope. However, God promised Paul that He would protect the lives of him and all 275 of the crew members, soldiers and other prisoners. (verse 37). It was as good as done.2.
3. When the crew decided to dock in a harbor at Malta, what happened? Verses 39-41. What did the soldiers want to do? Verse 42. Did God protect Paul and those on board? Verses 43-44.
Roman soldiers would be killed if they lost a prisoner, and the chances of a prisoner swimming away were too risky for them. However, God protected the lives of the prisoners from these men, just as He had protected them from the storm.
It’s also clear from this passage that not everyone aboard knew how to swim. In normal circumstances, these probably would have drowned. But God protected them too! Again, God promised that everyone would survive.
4. When they reached shore, did God protect the crew from the cold winter rain? Acts 28:2. As Paul was collecting firewood, what unexpected danger did he have to face? Verse 3. What was Paul’s reaction? Verse 5.
God had promised Paul that he would stand before Caesar. It was 100-percent guaranteed. So when a venomous viper bit Paul’s hand, he knew there was no danger. He simply shook it off into the fire and carried on. He knew God would protect him.
Yes, sometimes God does allow us to go through trials. However, He will always supply us with what we need to carry out His Work (Philippians 4:19). And if we need protection, we can have 100 percent faith, just like Paul, that God will supply us with that too.
Need to Call 911?
1. The night before He died, what did Christ specifically ask His Father to protect us from? John 17:15.
“The evil” should read “the evil one.” Christ knew how important it was that we be protected from Satan the devil. Yes, we need God to protect us physically. But we also need Him to protect us emotionally, mentally and spiritually.
Even when we face danger from some physical predicament, Satan is often the root cause. However, while God does allow him some leeway in order to test us and to give us an opportunity to achieve a greater reward, God holds ultimate power over Satan (see Job 1:12).
2. What physical phenomenon does God liken His protection to? Psalm 121:1-2; 125:1-2.
Mountains are a natural barrier and can offer incredible strategic protection. Every good military strategist knows the value of having the high ground. Here, God likens His protection to that of a mountain.
Psalm 121:1 is mistranslated in the King James Version. It should read like a question: “Shall I lift mine eyes unto the hills?” Verse 2 then answers: No—my help comes from the God who made those mountains! The rest of the psalm continues to illustrate the massive scope of God’s protection.
3. Is God also likened to a fortress of refuge? Psalm 46:1; 91:2; 144:2; Proverbs 18:10; Nahum 1:7.
Some of these scriptures refer to God as a tower. Not only does a strong tower give you physical shelter and high ground, it also is used to see danger far away before it arrives. How often does God protect us from far-away dangers long before they hit us? For example, think of how the smartphone policy at Armstrong College protects students from potential threats. That’s an example of God’s protection!
4. Can God actually “hide” us from a perilous predicament? Psalm 17:8; 32:7; 91:1.
In addition to this kind of protection, Psalm 32 also says that God encompasses us about with “songs of deliverance,” or shouts of joy. The Bible has many songs of deliverance like in Exodus 15 after God delivered Israel at the Red Sea, or in Judges 5 when God freed Israel from the Canaanites during the judgeship of Deborah and Barak. When God protects us, we really have something to sing joyfully about! Psalm 32:7 ends with a “selah”—meaning this verse is worth taking time to ponder.
5. In addition to being a mountain, fortress, refuge and rock, does the Bible also refer to God as a certain type of armor in warfare? Deuteronomy 33:29; Psalm 18:2; 91:3-4; 115:9-11.
In fighting a spiritual war, we need spiritual protection. This is why the “shield of faith” is a critical component of the armor of God in Ephesians 6.
Actually—while we usually think of shields as being purely defensive, shields were also historically used as an offensive weapon. A good shield would allow a soldier to push through an opponent with ease. Some shields, such as the “buckler” mentioned in Psalm 18, had a center grip that essentially gave its user a “metal fist.” In spiritual warfare, we can use God’s protection to help us go on the offensive!
6. Who does God assign to aid in our protection? Psalm 91:10-12. When a young student in Elisha’s schools saw a massive army coming to apprehend the prophet, what did God show him? 2 Kings 6:15-17.
When the Syrian army came to capture him, Elisha saw a much larger army that the young student didn’t. God gave this young man a powerful lesson in faith. The big, scary Syrian army the student saw was no match for this massive army of angels!
In The Former Prophets, Gerald Flurry writes, “This army is still protecting us today! I wonder how well we see it. … Do you see a gigantic army of fiery angels protecting the Elijah work today? You can see why we must have faith to do God’s Work! We must see the invisible!”
There will be many more battles to come. But this massive army is standing by, ready to protect the God Family at a moment’s notice.
You may have noticed that a lot of the above scriptures come from Psalm 91. This particular psalm vividly illustrates God’s promise to protect. If you need help remembering where to find it, remember that the emergency telephone number for most of North America is “9-1-1.” When we need God’s protection, we have Psalm 91:1. There’s a powerful emergency responder standing by on that line.
‘He Will Deliver Us Out of Your Hand’
1. When Shadrach, Meshech and Abednego failed to worship a graven image, what did Nebuchadnezzar threaten to do? Daniel 3:14-15. What was their response? Did they have 100 percent assurance that God would deliver them from this fiery doom? Verses 16-18.
Notice: These three men didn’t blindly assume God would deliver them from the fiery furnace. God had not specfically promised them protection from this particular danger. Of course, they said God was able to deliver them. But even if God didn’t spare their physical lives, they would still obey God and refuse to heed the king’s wicked command (verse 18). That’s the kind of faith they had in God.
These young men realized they could die. However, they did have 100 percent assurance that God would deliver them from Nebuchadnezzar. If they died, the next thing they would experience would be a resurrection to a life under God’s government—where Nebuchadnezzar would have no power over them. Freedom or fire, they would be delivered from the king’s tyranny either way.
2. Why has God allowed some men and women of faith not to receive physical deliverance? Hebrews 11:35-40.
Yes, sometimes God allows us to go through an intense trial. But He always has the bigger picture in mind. Overcoming those trials prepares us for a much greater spiritual reward. In these cases, it prepared these people for a “better resurrection.”
In our own personal lives, we can have 100 percent faith that God knows the best path for us. If He needs to protect us so we can better support His Work, He will. If it’s better for us to experience a trial so we can serve more in the World Tomorrow, He’ll put us through that instead. In either scenario, God is intimately involved.
Also, remember that God never tests us above what we can handle (1 Corinthians 10:13). Whatever He allows Satan to throw at us, God knows that we can handle it—as long as we look to Him for guidance, strength and protection.
Doing Our Part
1. Did Satan challenge Christ regarding God’s promise to protect? Matthew 4:5-6.
Satan is fully aware of God’s protection. Here, he actually quoted Psalm 91 to Christ and twisted its meaning, trying to convince Him to launch Himself off the top of the temple in Jerusalem!
2. How did Christ respond? Verse 7.
Christ quoted scripture back to Satan, this time from Deuteronomy 6:16. We are not to tempt God. The word “tempt” means to put to the test, almost like a dare. We should not actively put ourselves in harm’s way and assume God will bail us out. We can’t be blasé about God’s protection.
No matter what we do, we will never deserve God’s protection. We deserve death (Romans 6:23). God’s protection is a gift. However, God won’t give us a gift if we won’t value it properly.
3. While we can’t rely on ourselves for protection, can godly wisdom keep us safe from certain harm? Proverbs 3:19-24. Is God still a part of the equation though? Verses 25-26.
Godly wisdom teaches us to avoid particular places—seedy environments, morally derelict establishments, dangerous websites. This also means avoiding activities with a high risk of injury or death. Of course, that wisdom comes first by obeying God (Psalm 111:10).
4. For us to receive God’s protection, do we have to fear Him? Psalm 34:7. Is there certain evil we have to stay away from to receive God’s protection? Verses 13-15. What happens to those who do evil? Verses 16, 21. What kind of attitude do we need to have in order to be protected? Verse 18. Where do we need to place our trust in order to be protected? Verse 22; Proverbs 30:5.
For us to receive God’s protection, we need to fear God. That means giving Him due respect and obeying His laws. This psalm is clear that those who don’t obey God have to face the consequences of their actions. Rather, God promises to save the humble.
One hundred percent trust in God also means 100percentobedience. For example, say your parents have limited your Internet access. That is how God is protecting you from possible dangers online. If you try to go around that law, God might not protect you from the hackers, scammers, cybercriminals, predators, malware or morally corrupt content that lurk around the corner.
5. At the end of Christ’s confrontation with Satan, Satan had to flee the scene (Matthew 4:10-11). Can we have the same thing happen? James 4:7.
Satan is powerless against God. If we draw close to God and resist the devil, Satan will be powerless against us too. He can’t stand up to the power of God’s protection!
6. Should we be bold in claiming God’s promise of protection? Hebrews 13:6. What has God promised that can allow us to be that bold? Verse 5.
God wants us to go before Him boldly (Hebrews 4:16). That means having faith that when He says something, it’s as good as done! If we do our part by obeying God, drawing close to Him, using godly wisdom and trusting Him completely, then God promises us: “I will never leave you or forsake you.” We can be bold in claiming that promise.
When I was alone in Houston, God didn’t forsake me. Despite the initial scare, I was able to use the trip to visit with several brethren in the local congregation I seldom saw. Because of God’s protection, the whole trip ended up being a very positive, enjoyable experience overall.
I was also able to get home in one piece. When I later had my car looked at, it turned out it had barely suffered any damage—only a minor scratch to some plastic on the bottom no one would ever see. Since then, I’ve been able to drive thousands more miles in the same vehicle. And I owe every mile to God’s promise to protect.