Are We Safe?

Is my family safe? It is a question we all ask. We want to be safe. We want our family members and friends to be safe. But are we really that safe? With the shootings, social violence, weather disasters, the ongoing virus concern, and other random accidents, we may not feel so safe. Questions pop into our heads. “What if I am next? What if it happens to me?”

So what do we tell our children and family members when violence causes them to question their safety? We could rationalize and say that those kinds of tragedies don’t happen very often. There’s a one in a million chance that it would happen to us. But it could still happen. We can try to comfort them and ourselves with the purchase of home security systems, new door locks, and safer vehicles. But these only protect to a certain extent. We can attempt to shelter our children and give them good rules to live by, but this does not guarantee complete safety either.

So where do we turn when we have cause to wonder if we are safe? We simply turn to our loving God and his Word. God tells us the reason for violence, tragedy, and sickness. It is sin. Sin causes people, even believers like us, to commit large and small acts of violence in disobedience of God. Sin permeates this world. That’s why we see violence, tragedy, and sickness.

But we must not throw our hands up in helpless despair. Rather, we turn to the promises that God gives to us in his Word. God promised a Savior from sin. He sent Jesus to live in our place and die for our sins. He paid the price for sin so that we could become God’s dearly loved children. Jesus sacrificed himself to keep us safe from the power of sin, death, and hell. That is the ultimate safety and peace we have.

Consider all of the promises God has made and fulfilled for us and then believe his promise in Psalm 4: “I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.” Wouldn’t you like to have that kind of feeling every night? You can. As believers you do. Jesus promises that he will never leave us nor forsake us. He promises to work everything in our lives for the good of our faith and welfare of our soul. This assurance comes to us because the Lord is our strength and our song. He has become our salvation. He is our Rock and Refuge. He is our Good Shepherd who cares for his sheep.

So what do you tell your children and family members when they wonder if they are safe? Tell them that these recent acts of violence, recent tragedies, and recent sicknesses should point us to what is most important - him and his love. Tell them we cannot always keep ourselves safe, but the Lord can. Tell them Jesus loves them. Tell them Jesus is in control. Tell them he sacrificed his life for them to keep them safe from all harm and danger. Tell them that no matter what happens, he will keep them strong. Tell them he gives them the peace that surpasses all understanding. This will give them the greatest comfort! It will allow them to lie down and sleep in peace because the Lord makes them dwell in safety.

The same is true for our confirmands. Please remember our St. John confirmands in your prayers this month as they make their vows of faithfulness to the Lord. Pray that they always remain safe in the Lord’s loving care. When you have the opportunity, encourage them in the Word of God and point them to their Savior Jesus.