I am safe. I'm saved, and I'm safe, Thank God! Praise His Excellent Greatness, for I am safe in the protection of God through His Son my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. And you are safe! We must tell the world of this safety.
Over the years, people have argued about what it means to be safe in Jesus. Some still argue in vain hope that safety means earthly safety from worldly things. Well, in a way, there is safety in knowing that He will provide and protect us, but this safety and provision is first and formost a
spiritual concept. And until we have entered into a spiritual relationship with our Savior, we'll never be convinced of His provision and protection.
As used in this verse in Psalms, safety comes from the Hebrew word for security (assurance). I can trust with bold confidence in this safety. I don't have to understand it in the worldly setting when I know spiritual safety.
Psalms 4:8 (KJV) I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety.
I will be preserved and protected in Jesus. This is very good news in a world that lives in constant fear. (And I am convinced that this fear which comes from the devil is caused by seeking worldly safety rather than spiritual safety.) Think about all the emails you receive that drip with fear of the world. You are warned that you'll be harmed, poisoned, and must be on constant guard with gimmicks for keeping yourself safe: quick, pass the fear on immediately or you'll have bad luck! For the reason of our worldly perspective, we look to news to feed this fear, and I imagine that satan is so pleased. When we obsess about all the bad things that can happen, we are not exhibiting faith in the Word of God. May we let the Word so live in our hearts and our lives that we notice and even savor God's presence in this world, for He is here, He is in control, and He has given us safety and peace through Jesus Christ.
What we need to do is look to the Good News of the Bible: Our safety is in Jesus alone. When inspite of the world, we enter into His rest and peace (which is not idle but an active way of abiding in Him with safety), we overcome and conquer the world! I don't expect the world to understand these spiritual truth of God, but I pray that those who know Jesus grow closer and closer to the safety that is Him by studying His Word. I have. You will too. His Word says we will!
Psalms 16:1 (KJV) Preserve me, O God: for in thee do I put my trust.
Safety in Jesus only comes from believing God. More than just knowing that there is a God, we must believe that His Word is true, and that we are what His Word says that we are: safe in Him. Sounds kind of crazy to those who don't have a relationship with Him. It always has. Even the Jews who counted themselves religious thought that Jesus was crazy, claiming He was full of the devil and mad. Jesus responded to these allegations with some of the most important words of the Bible, explaining the safety He has to offer to all who believe.
John 10:19-30 (KJV) 19 There was a division therefore again among the Jews for these sayings. 20 And many of them said, He hath a devil, and is mad; why hear ye him? 21 Others said, These are not the words of him that hath a devil. Can a devil open the eyes of the blind? 22 And it was at Jerusalem the feast of the dedication, and it was winter. 23 And Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon's porch. 24 Then came the Jews round about him, and said unto him, How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly. 25 Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me. 26 But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. 27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. 29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. 30 I and my Father are one.
Being safe is an eternal condition, not a worldly condition. As Christians, we are not immune from danger or death or all earthly disaster. Rather, we are safe in spite of danger, death or whatever earthly disaster comes. ALL of Christ's own will be in heaven: none will go to hell. Now that's safety. We are safe because He is the good shepherd, and we are safe because He is One with God. Therefore, the Son cannot fail and will present His people at the end, safe and sanctified.
Jesus the Good Shepherd holds us by the hand. And behind the grip of Jesus is the grip of the Father. Of necessity we are holding God's hand too. But it is Jesus' grip that ensures our safety. The
more we follow him, the more of His voice we hear, the more conscious we shall be of our safety. "
27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:"
The world can be a very scary place, with no safe place, without Christ. And nothing will ever make us feel safe in the world, for there is no carnal safety, no matter how hard the worldly try, no matter how advanced the world becomes.
Being safe in Jesus' arms means having a relationship with Him: we are His sheep, we are His bride. Through belief, we learn to depend totally on Jesus
in spite of the world. And through belief, our safety is exhibited through peace and joy that grows in us from being His, all to His honor and glory. After all, it's God plan that matters, not ours. And His plan is above all others. By living in the safety of Jesus Christ, we walk in the victory over satan that Jesus died to assure. Father, through Your eyes, I can see that I am safe. There is no other way for me.
Romans 8:31 (KJV) What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?