Question 1

If God promises to protect me, then why do I get hurt?

Accepted Answer

Job 36:15“By means of their suffering, he rescues those who suffer. For he gets their attention through adversity.”Psalm 22:24He has not ignored or belittled the suffering of the needy. He has not turned his back on them, but has listened to their cries for help.Psalm 126:5-6Those who plant in tears will harvest with shouts of joy. They weep as they go to plant their seed, but they sing as they return with the harvest.Suffering is not a sign that God doesn’t care; it is simply a fact of life in this fallen world. If God took away everyone’s suffering, we would not need him or desire heaven. More significantly, we would probably follow God for a magic cure rather than our need for salvation. Some suffering is for reasons we will not know this side of eternity, such as an auto accident or an illness. Some is a consequence of neglect, failure, or sin—our own or someone else’s. Suffering is a universal experience, and God uses it to draw people to him. While the Bible never promises a life free from pain, it does assure us that God is with us in our pain and that for those who believe in him, all pain will one day be gone forever. He protects his people from having to experience pain forever.Psalm 31:19-20How great is the goodness you have stored up for those who fear you. You lavish it on those who come to you for protection, blessing them before the watching world. You hide them in the shelter of your presence, safe from those who conspire against them. You shelter them in your presence, far from accusing tongues.Daniel 3:17-18“If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.”God promises to protect and keep safe those who love him. But the ultimate fulfillment of this promise is in safeguarding our souls so that we will live forever with him. Like Daniel’s friends, we must commit ourselves to obeying God no matter what happens to our earthly bodies to ensure that our eternal bodies will be in the right place with God forever.Psalm 17:8-15Guard me as you would guard your own eyes. Hide me in the shadow of your wings. . . . When I awake, I will see you face to face and be satisfied.The psalm writer prayed to God for protection from enemies, yet trusted that his ultimate safety is in God’s hands. Throughout the book of Psalms there are declarations of trust, along with cries of desperation and even complaints over God’s apparent delay in supplying protection. All these mirror our experiences in life. They are honest expressions of our temporary perceptions. Much as the man who said to Jesus, “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24), we must acknowledge our doublemindedness before God even as we seek to trust our lives to God’s sovereign and capable hands.Philippians 4:6-7Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.Through consistent and devoted prayer, you can know the protection of God’s supernatural peace. As Paul makes clear in the context of these verses, this effective approach to all of life is learned over time “as you live in Christ Jesus.” None of us does it perfectly this side of eternity.Isaiah 31:1-3What sorrow awaits those who look to Egypt for help, trusting their horses, chariots, and charioteers and depending on the strength of human armies instead of looking to the Lord, the Holy One of Israel. In his wisdom, the Lord will send great disaster; he will not change his mind. He will rise against the wicked and against their helpers. For these Egyptians are mere humans, not God! Their horses are puny flesh, not mighty spirits! When the Lord raises his fist against them, those who help will stumble, and those being helped will fall. They will all fall down and die together.Jeremiah 42:13, 16“If you refuse to obey the Lord your God, and if you say, ‘We will not stay here; . . .’ the very war and famine you fear will catch up to you, and you will die there.”Isaiah and Jeremiah taught about the relationship between your obedience and the protection of God. Submitting to other powers or people for protection places you outside of God’s immediate protection. Obedience to God will protect you from the consequences of disobedience. For example, obeying God’s command not to cheat will protect you from the embarrassment, loss of friendships, fines, and potential jail time that can come from cheating.

Question 2

Where can I find protection and safety?

Accepted Answer

Psalm 121:2-8My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth! He will not let you stumble; the one who watches over you will not slumber. Indeed, he who watches over Israel never slumbers or sleeps. The Lord himself watches over you! The Lord stands beside you as your protective shade. . . . The Lord keeps watch over you as you come and go, both now and forever.Our protection is directly related to the character, competence, and capability of our protector. The Maker of heaven and earth is our personal protector. He never sleeps and never turns his attention from us. We can walk securely because he guards our every step.1 Samuel 2:9“He will protect his faithful ones, but the wicked will disappear in darkness. No one will succeed by strength alone.”Job 5:19“From six disasters he [God] will rescue you; even in the seventh, he will keep you from evil.”Psalm 9:9The Lord is a shelter for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.Though troubles and threats will find us in this fallen, broken world, they will never be a surprise to God. He never tires of saving us. We will not know this side of eternity just how often and in how many different ways God has intervened to protect us when we were not even aware of his presence.

Question 3

In what ways does God protect me?

Accepted Answer

Job 1:8-11Then the Lord asked Satan, “Have you noticed my servant Job? He is the finest man in all the earth. He is blameless—a man of complete integrity. He fears God and stays away from evil.” Satan replied to the Lord, “Yes, but Job has good reason to fear God. You have always put a wall of protection around him and his home and his property. You have made him prosper in everything he does. Look how rich he is! But reach out and take away everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face!”Psalm 32:7You are my hiding place; you protect me from trouble. You surround me with songs of victory.We can have peace within us, despite our circumstances, when we fully trust that God is always watching over us. The peace of God will not prevent us from encountering difficulties, but will give us victory over them. God promises to give us eternal life, and he promises that Satan cannot steal our soul away from him. When we have total confidence in these two things, then no matter what happens, we can have peace with God.Exodus 14:13-14Moses told the people, “Don’t be afraid. Just stand still and watch the Lord rescue you today. The Egyptians you see today will never be seen again. The Lord himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.”Joshua 23:10“Each one of you will put to flight a thousand of the enemy, for the Lord your God fights for you, just as he has promised.”2 Chronicles 20:12, 15, 17, 20[Jehoshaphat prayed:] “O our God, won’t you stop them? We are powerless against this mighty army that is about to attack us. We do not know what to do, but we are looking to you for help.” . . . He [the prophet Jahaziel] said, “Listen, all you people of Judah and Jerusalem! Listen, King Jehoshaphat! This is what the Lord says: Do not be afraid! Don’t be discouraged by this mighty army, for the battle is not yours, but God’s. . . . But you will not even need to fight. Take your positions; then stand still and watch the Lord’s victory. He is with you, O people of Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid or discouraged. Go out against them tomorrow, for the Lord is with you!” . . . Early the next morning the army of Judah went out into the wilderness of Tekoa. On the way Jehoshaphat stopped and said, “Listen to me, all you people of Judah and Jerusalem! Believe in the Lord your God, and you will be able to stand firm.”When enemies come against us, they really come against the Lord. We are continually reminded that victory is assured when we let God fight our battles. This may require us to remain silent as we turn to him constantly in prayer. The point is to keep our attention focused on him rather than on the enemy. He often turns our enemies against each other so that they destroy themselves while we walk away unscathed.Psalm 91:1-4Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him. For he will rescue you from every trap and protect you from deadly disease. He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection.God guards us from the dangers that stalk us. God is a refuge, a shadow (like protection from the intense heat of the desert sun), a shelter, and a place of safety from all threats. He promises to shield us and inspire our faith and courage.Psalm 92:12-15The godly will flourish like palm trees and grow strong like the cedars of Lebanon. For they are transplanted to the Lord’s own house. They flourish in the courts of our God. Even in old age they will still produce fruit; they will remain vital and green. They will declare, “The Lord is just! He is my rock! There is no evil in him!”Many of the descriptions of God’s protection in Scripture use images from nature and point to this reality: It is through our relationship and connection with God that we find protection. Shelter, shadow, wings, house, courts are all places of closeness and intimacy with God; we receive God’s protection by being close to him. Those who live in blissful or deliberate ignorance of God will not experience his protection in the same way. It is the reality of God-with-us (Immanuel) that provides our ultimate protection.2 Thessalonians 3:3The Lord is faithful; he will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one.We gain spiritual strength from God himself. He teaches us to protect ourselves through discernment, self-discipline, and the confident exercise of our authority in Christ.Ephesians 6:10-12A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.Spiritual battles require spiritual protection. God’s armor shields us against the schemes of the world, from our own sinful nature, and from Satan and his allies. We must keep our focus on God’s protection instead of evil’s threats and stand firm in our faith. This is more than a matter of knowing what God has made available by way of protective equipment; it means training in the use of this equipment on a regular basis so that its use under battle conditions becomes natural to us.John 16:13“When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth.”Ephesians 6:14Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness.When we believe the truth taught in God’s Word and live by it, we will have the upper hand in any battle against evil. When we are loyal to God and ask for his help, he will give us great discernment as protection against Satan and his demons, who are fighting even now for our souls. The Word of God and the power of the Holy Spirit are powerful resources that can overpower any enemy. When we stand strong and confident in God’s truth, we can be certain that God will help us fight our battles so that we will be victorious.Ephesians 6:16In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil.1 John 4:4You belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world.1 John 5:4Every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith.Our first line of defense in spiritual warfare is to draw strength from the fact that God is more powerful than our problems, our weaknesses or our enemies. Our faith in God is a shield that protects us from the temptations and criticisms hurled at us every day. Without strong faith, the weapons of Satan and the arrows shot at us by our enemies would pierce and defeat us. So even when life seems overwhelming, hold tightly to your faith like a shield in order to withstand the dangers and discouragements sent against you. And rejoice, knowing that God has already won the victory.

Question 4

How can I guard and protect my heart?

Accepted Answer

Proverbs 4:23Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.1 John 5:21Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God’s place in your hearts.Protect your heart from evil influences and temptations by obeying God and by staying away from anything that might tempt you to sin. This is very difficult in today’s world, where withdrawing or isolating from ungodly influences requires unusual persistence. Renew your commitment to love God with all you are and have. Turn off and turn away from what would lead your heart astray and turn toward God in prayer, worship, and acknowledgement of his presence. This will help you to step toward him and not away from him when temptations come to call.

Protection