Protected Forever

August 2021

“For the Lord loves justice And does not abandon His godly ones; They are protected forever, But the descendants of the wicked will be eliminated.”

Psalm 37:28 [NASB]

As I awakened, I was conflicted about the morning bringing life’s complexities of the day. Initially, I was not thankful for the new day. But as I pondered God’s Word, I wanted to bring to mind the scripture from which I was seeking encouragement. I knew it conceptually but could not capture the specific scriptural Words or Bible reference in that moment. I asked God to remind my mind and heart—although I usually try to process in the reverse: heart then mind, because that’s the typical order in scripture. Just then, God gave it to me: “This is the day that the Lord hath made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it.” (Psalm 118:24) I began to think about the contrast between night and day, the difference which to me is such a mysterious dynamic. Perhaps this might be because God so greatly contrasts light and dark, or darkness, day and night [Judas the betrayer came at night] throughout His Holy Word. For example my friend Dan struggles with insomnia, but my wife, Barbie, is pain-free when she sleeps, her best time before awakening. I’m thankful she is protected forever, because she told me recently that she never rests [physically, except when she is asleep], despite the fact that God commands us to have a day of rest each week. She lives everyday in pain, but she does rest in Him, the true vine who is our rest. As daytime emerges, more and more I see the joyful wonder of being able to encourage people in Christ, whether they know Him or not. If they do, so much the better—if they don’t they can and may, if we point them to Him. For example, on the phone one morning with Bianca, a medical technician, I was growing frustrated with changed appointments for my wife. But it was as if the Holy Spirit changed the direction of the conversation. I didn’t get Bianca’s name to begin with, but she mysteriously mentioned it, thinking I had asked. That allowed me to share good news with her by name. “Thank you. That made my day,” she responded with great joyful laughter, almost as in relief. And while in a toy store, I told Sheri, “You blessed me—may I bless you?” as she received a gospel handout. “Absolutely. Thank you very much,” she responded, graciously accepting God’s Word, bringing joy to my heart, as well as did a wonderful smiling cashier at a card shop.

Now to me, the amazing thing about that day, is that as I went to my computer and looked at the daily devotional, I saw the words from Psalm 37:28, “…protected forever…” [Credit: Verse of the Day, Heartlight, Inc., June 29, 2021] It was as if they leaped off the page at me. I sensed and discerned in my spirit that they instantly captured what my heart and mind, my hungry soul had been experiencing, searching and seeking upon waking that morning, at first light; that despite whatever emotions, thoughts, feelings I first encountered consciously, whether uplifting or soul wrenching, I had the absolute assurance that God would protect me forever—especially in the unity and security of the Holy Spirit. What great freedom, as I bear witness [John 15:27, present tense verb] that Jesus is the Messiah! And I am so thankful for Matthew Henry’s practical application, “God will keep them from being ruined by their falls, either into sin or into trouble, though such as fall into sin will be sorely hurt. Few, if any, have known the consistent believer, or his children, reduced to abject, friendless want. God forsakes not his saints in affliction; and in heaven only the righteous shall dwell forever; that will be their everlasting habitation. A good man may fall into the hands of a messenger of Satan, and be sorely buffeted, but God will not leave him in his enemy’s hands.” [Credit: Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary, Psalm 37:21-33] Elsewhere in Psalm 37, this believer’s assurance of protection forever is further reinforced, “He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun,” (verse 6) an inheritance forever (verse 29), “Consider the blameless, observe the upright; a future awaits those who seek peace.” (verse 37) and refuge in him (verse 40). And I see the converse of this deep, spiritual truth in this same Psalm of David, “Do not fret because of those who are evil or be envious of those who do wrong; for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away.”  (Psalm 37:1, 2) This metaphoric picture of God’s sovereignty is clear to me as I work in my flower garden through seasonal changes.

Then I asked myself; but what about our suffering? Well, if we are protected forever, according to Psalm 37:28 we can rejoice and be glad in it, notwithstanding our suffering. Yes, we all suffer from the fall. Yet, isn’t it true that in nearly every one of our lives, we can think of others who are suffering more. Thus as believers, we have the infinitely majestic joy and blessing of praying and interceding for them. All these people have to press on toward the goal, whether it is during the night when they can’t sleep, or as they awake, facing a new day. Either way, we have the wonderful choice of serving our Saviour in our suffering. I often pray for suffering pastors who are persecuted, imprisoned, martyred, and murdered, as well as for their families, yet it is only through trusting God’s Word that I can pray for them, knowing that they are protected forever. May we be fervent in prayer for those red-zone pastors. [Credit: The Voice of the Martyrs, July 2021, p. 8]

If memory serves, I believe Pastor Marty Martin once stated that John 17 is one of the most sacred prayers in the Bible, as Jesus speaks to His Father. In verse 15, Jesus states, “My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.” Because I am protected forever, I can trust God as I take risks for the Gospel. The male nurse, Tom, arrived at our house to facilitate Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) training for my wife’s physical workout, planning to drive to the gym and join her and her caregiver. Because Barbie struggles with severe deficits from a brainstem stroke, [double vision, bouncy eyes, ataxia (tremors with intention) and no balance] she needs someone to be her balance for her, requiring a skilled caregiver who understands body mechanics, leverage, unweighting, situational awareness and fall risk – these are hard to find in a CNA. Just before Tom, Barbie and the CNA departed to meet another skilled CNA at the gym for orientation, I conversed with Tom. Somehow we got on the subject of safety and injuries, and next thing you know we were comparing scars, just like that scene from the movie Jaws. Tom showed us his scars from accidents, including surgery on his leg, as well as a destructive injury and surgery on his arm resulting in a metal plate, along with many screws. Then I showed him my arm scar from an ice-skating accident resulting in a compound spiral fracture. Since I have a 12” plate and 16 screws in my arm, I told him I was more screwed up than him! But now it gives me a great opportunity to gift him with a copy of Jesus Joy, which tells this story of my pride and compound spiral fracture.

A friend of ours, Kerry, came over to our house to receive gifts for her daughters from my wife. Kerry told the heart-warming story of her Church’s Pastor. A young boy, out of desperation, walked into a Church where an elderly lady noticed him. She took him under her wing, informing him that there might be a youth group starting up in which he could get involved. She sort of became his mother in the faith. Many years later that young boy grew to become the only living sibling from his biological family not to die from alcoholism, and later graduated from Seminary to become a Pastor. Kerry and her husband adopted a son from a distant land, who is now 26, living independently with his girlfriend, but wanting money from Mom and Dad, who remain close to him, but in loving detachment. As we talked with Kerry, the neighbor lady Amanda knocked on the door, with her adopted daughter, Linday, who was celebrating her 4th birthday. Shortly afterward another neighborhood lady, Lorna, joined us. I was blessed to witness a wonderful, protected forever, gospel risk taken in our home as the ladies all connected. It turns out, as God would have it, that my wife, Barbie, along with Kerry and Lorna had been together in the same women’s Bible study for several years. As they talked about their Bible study days together, and the fact that the next Bible Study was about to resume again, Amanda unexpectedly and excitedly said, “I should join your Bible Study!” What a joyful Jesus moment of laughter, elation, and exuberant affirmation.

Our wonderful friend from Church, Jillian, lost her husband a few years ago; then she suffered a stroke, from which she is still recovering. She still takes risks for the Gospel, reaching out to spiritually lost people, even offering The Jesus Film video to Muslims in a shopping center. Recently, a telephone message from her sweet voice and sweet spirit offered to bring a hot meal to our home for my wife and me, meaning a sacrificial commitment to prepare the food and encounter rush hour traffic across town, just to bless us greatly. She also did all the grunt work to try and keep our small group Bible Study together after Covid, which unfortunately did not yield fruit. My takeaway with this background is recognizing that, even though I didn’t ask her, in Jill’s heart she knows absolutely that she is protected forever under the shed blood of Jesus on the cross. In this context, her knowing points toward Jeremiah 9:24 and 1 John 4:7, where the Bible speaks of “to know,” yada in Hebrew, ginóskó in Greek. She takes risks for the Gospel and for the body of Christ with the assurance of His covenant love protection for eternity. What a joy it was to spend time with her on our back patio for an hour with fellowship and a relationship embedded in Christ’s forever protection. Also my long time friend, Erik, who helped with the latest edition of the red heart/cross gospel handout, takes gospel risks on the beach of a state park as he sets up a tent and hands out Bible tracts. I have to confess, I’d be fearful that some government bureaucrat would try to come along and say to me, “You can’t do that here,” which I’ve been told before when proclaiming Jesus to the lost. Yet Erik knows he is protected forever in the loving arms of Jesus. As believers, this is even more of a blessing when we look at God’s use of the Hebrew word for garden, (gan) in every occurrence in Genesis, Chapter 2, meaning an enclosure, thus a protected area, a sanctuary. [Paraphrased reference credit: Jen Wilkin, author and Bible teacher] I can only imagine the deep, wide and profound implications of God’s blessings He intended and intends for us in His garden, where we are protected forever.

When I am fervent in prayer and His Word, God often shows me where He is working, especially in grocery stores—but I didn’t expect His work to show up in liquor stores as well! On Friday, before the 4th of July, I went to the liquor store to purchase a bottle of Charaze for my wife, plus wine as gifts for two neighborhood family and friend gatherings, along with a bottle of Chambord French black raspberry liqueur for our dear friend Lori, because she claims it goes great with vanilla bean ice cream. I called ahead to find out if Trisha was working in the store because I wanted to gift her with a copy of Jesus Joy, as a follow up to previously giving her a gospel handout. I was so excited when the person on the phone said Trisha would be there around 3:00 p.m. at which time I headed to the liquor store. I recognized her first by her bright blue hair as we connected in the store, and she was so thankful for the book, also telling me that she electronically scanned the gospel handout I gave her before, and sent it to her Aunt with whom she had been having spiritual conversations. She searched for a quality Merlot for our neighbors, who were previously missionaries in Asia. Their son, Mark, we love dearly and I started wondering if there was any chance Trisha could find a wine with a racing theme label, since Mark had racing in his blood and previously drove his bright yellow and tangerine orange Porsche 357 Speedster in the La Carrera Panamericana border-to-border race through open roads in Mexico. Trisha took great pains to think about, look, then check on the computer for inventory of anything like this. She came back and told me there were five bottles in the computer inventory, but she didn’t know where to find them. She left to get help, then returned with Dave holding a beautiful bottle of Racecar Red Cabernet Sauvignon, including a colorful label depicting a gorgeous classic red Ferrari Formula One Gran Prix race car on the track in action. I was so excited and thankful, because I knew this gift would be so meaningful to Mark, and my wife agreed when I later showed her. I gave Dave a gospel handout to thank him for finding it, but he was not thrilled, I think perhaps because I previously gave him one several months prior. But Trisha and I celebrated the finding, and I am trusting God to grow her seed faith into full blown fervent fellowship in Christ. I didn’t realize that God could use Racecar Red Cabernet Sauvignon to be a focal point of building a friendly relationship, spiritual growth, and hopefully yielding the reconciling and relational ministry of Jesus deep within Trisha’s heart and mind. And when I looked for a bottle of Chambord, a lady employee working nearby dropped a large empty box on the floor, making a loud noise. “I didn’t mean to scare you!” Ericka exclaimed. She reluctantly accepted the red heart/cross gospel handout. May God’s kingdom of heaven on Earth be expanded through God’s work, even in liquor stores! And when the cashier, Conner, helped me check out, he kindly received a gospel handout. As I carried two sacks in my arms leaving the store, a lady employee with a nice smile greeted me. I wanted to give her a gospel handout, but could not because of everything I was carrying. After I put the packages in the car, I went back in the store to find her, but failed, but later our friend Mark was thrilled with his gift. I enjoyed telling employees in the store to stay safe so I could see them again. Then on the way home I stopped to pick up a few groceries. In the store was a small coffee bar, and behind the counter was a young lady named Jordan, who was working but at that moment had no customers, so I greeted her and gifted her with a gospel handout which she looked at, then looked up at me. “I work in a Church!” she stated with a radiant smile and youthful exuberance. I came back later to offer her more gospel handouts for her to gift to others who might be low on hope, but she had customers, so unfortunately I was not able to reconnect.

The next day, the 4th of July, included a fun time with neighbors and allowed me to also gift a bottle of Racecar Red to Robby, car buff and liquor store owner, who along with his wife Jen sponsored the gathering. He placed the bottle on central display in the middle of the kitchen table, so it served as a prompter of conversation with several people. I enjoyed meeting Jim, who is blind, and a woman named Margaret. Jen mentioned to me later that Margaret met her boyfriend on a computer dating service, which included the criteria, “…must be a skier and sailor.” “I’m your girl,” Margaret responded! But Jen told me that Margaret’s boyfriend is going in for foot surgery, which casts an interesting light on the skier/sailor mandate. I realized how precious God’s Word is to believers, because we understand spiritually that although we may not be protected physically from the effects of the fall, we are protected spiritually in the eternal realm. Later, during the Cul de Sac fireworks display, I mentioned to a mother that her son shed tears as we talked about God. Sadly, her response amounted to a reference about him having many interests—seemingly a spiritual disconnect. Perhaps God is waiting for a more opportune time for me with both of them. As I talk with people one-on-one, there are many things over which I have very little control, but our great God through the power of the Holy Spirit working in them can stir their hearts. [Paraphrased Credit: Pastor Gary V. Carter] For example, when the FedEx truck dropped off a package at our home, I quickly greeted the driver as he was walking away down the driveway toward his truck. His name was Abraham, and after he kindly received a gospel handout I asked how I could pray for him. All he could do was smile!

After a toad-strangler of a rain storm, I put on boots to walk down the trail and drop off our HOA dues in the box, taking gospel handouts even knowing there would not be a chance of sharing one with somebody. Yet when I dropped down toward the stream to check out the results of the downpour on my return home, I greeted a kind and friendly woman jogger who exchanged the greeting with me and I was able to give her God’s Word. “Thank you for the picture,” [or scripture] she responded joyfully as she kept running in place, then headed on down the trail. Later, as I drove to the grocery store, I approached two very young children riding tiny bicycles on the opposite side of the street, both wearing helmets. I asked God to protect them, knowing how fragile and at-risk their lives can be. Then tears began to well up in my eyes, thinking about their parent’s love and concern for them, knowing that even more important than their physical safety, was their heart safety. We never know when we will see our loved ones for the last time on this physical Earth, and hopefully again on the new Earth if they are believers in Jesus. And in like manner, I never know when and where God will work and open a door of ministry. I need to always be ready in the blink of an eye, knowing in my heart of hearts how important it is to proclaim Jesus to the lost. It seems like every time I am in a store, God opens a door, albeit often momentary. In the produce section of a grocery store, the produce cart was blocking the aisle, so I hesitated for a moment getting around it. But the lady employee was quick to ask, “Which way do you want to go?” “This way if it works for you,” I said. Her name was Laura and she had worked there for 30 years, still with a warm smile. After she received God’s Word she thanked me three times. And in another grocery store as I tried to finish shopping and head home, a young man named Matt was very helpful to me. I forgot to take gospel handouts into the store, so I said to him, “God bless you.” He smiled, and then I told him he had a nice Jesus smile. “Yes I do,” he responded, as he smiled even more deeply. I am always so encouraged when I encounter a brother or sister in Christ, helping give me the strength to press on toward the goal. For example, Rachael reluctantly received the gospel handout, and then just before I was about to botch my witness for Christ with three employees, as we congregated near the cash register, I felt a hand on the back of my shoulder. I turned around to see a wonderful friend of ours from Church, Karen, along with her friend. I believe God intervened just at the right moment. It was a joyful distraction in so many ways. And sometimes it can be as simple as being encouraged, after a grocery store employee removes the gospel handout I’ve posted on their cork message board. I’m thankful God’s Word points both toward protection forever and encouragement, for example in Acts, “…Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.” “The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, “ ‛Take courage!…” “Last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me and said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul…” Acts 18:9, 10;  23:11, 27:23, 24, respectively. And in Revelation, “…and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence.” “For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water.” “…Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them…” Revelation 7:15-17, 21:3, respectively. [Reference Credit: Rev. Dr. Brad Strait] I’m thankful for our Gentle Shepherd, Jesus, who protects us—leading, guiding, dwelling, and tabernacling within us forever.

An intelligent young neighborhood boy, Martin, came over to our house and informed me that he was starting his own business selling fresh ripe wild cherries from the sole cherry tree in his parents front lawn, a funny—but not so funny story. His Dad’s vision for his son’s entrepreneurial upstart was to pick them, put them in the refrigerator, and then offer them for sale.  But young Martin’s business plan was to appeal to people’s desire to pick them fresh and ripe, right off their tree. His price was $1.00 for 15 cherries. I agreed to buy $1.00’s worth, and that I was open to purchasing more if he offered a quantity discount, and after I had a chance to check competitive prices at the grocery store. He soon returned with a new offer. It turns out that his price was high, so he agreed to sell me more at a price of 25 cherries per dollar, which was still expensive on a price per pound basis. We both did some calculating in the kitchen, using a scale to weigh them, then a quick call to a grocery store to find the range of prices per pound, at which time he casually used the Lord’s name in vain. “Please don’t use those words in our home,” I asked. He quickly apologized. I only had a few coins sitting around, so I offered to barter with him, which he was not expecting. I jokingly asked if he accepted bitcoin; then asked how many cherries I could buy for a small bag of marbles I showed him, for which he had no interest! I picked up a copy of Jesus Joy, and asked him how many cherries I could get for a signed copy. “I don’t want to hurt your feelings, but I’m an atheist,” he responded after looking at the cover. [This was not the first time he told me this, but I don’t know from where that influence came.] “That takes a lot of faith,” I said. Then he told me to come over to his cherry tree and pick the remaining cherries for which I paid. On my way back across the street, I prayed silently for him—the fields are ripe. He hasn’t been back with any new offers, but I’m trusting the Holy Spirit to do more work on his heart and mind. I didn’t expect a cherry tree to be the focal point, as God worked and protected me through the door of ministry He opened. Martin probably does not recognize his need for God’s grace, and thus his need for the Savior. Pastor Gary V. Carter, a Church planter, surveys people in his sphere of influence asking questions like, “Why do you think most people don’t attend Church?” As I studied the responses, one caught my attention, “Fear of the truth. They want to live and don’t want to change their way of life.” He speaks of people moving through spiritual stages, such as fundamentally Oblivious, Pondering, Engaging, and recognizing their Need (O.P.E.N.). Perhaps Martin is still stuck in spiritual blindness, but hopefully one day God leads him to recognize his fallen sin nature, and that he responds to his need for a savior. And maybe God will use me to help keep the channels of communication open with Martin. (I wondered a few days later what must go on in Martin’s mind, when he uses bills or coins that state, “In God We Trust.”

What God did next in the story of Martin and his non-Church-going parents, Ted and Sharon, transcended my ability to imagine. One evening, after a long day of major sewer reconstruction on their home, I stepped out of our front door heading for a walk on the trail. I didn’t get more than about a hundred feet away when Ted called out my name as I waved, so I turned and headed to meet them as they came out to the sidewalk. There I also met Issa (Jesus in Arabic), the restoration contractor working on their sewer, a big and costly project including jack-hammering through the basement floor, replacing 50 year old rusted cast iron sewer pipe with PVC. I needed God’s forever protection, as I spoke with Ted and Sharon standing on the left, and Issa, the Muslim contractor on the right, as we all enjoyed great relational time together. It was so exciting because God allowed me to speak of Jesus in their presence. Then I quickly walked home, told my wife what was happening, grabbed a copy of Jesus Joy and gifted it to Issa as he shared with me that he grew up in Jerusalem’s Old City, right near where my wife, Barbie, and I worshipped on Sundays when serving in Bethlehem behind the 24 foot wall of separation. He came to America in 1980, and I was able to share with him that was the same year I received Christ as my Savior. I hope God allows me to cross paths again with him, that Ted and Sharon will receive Jesus Joy as a gift, sustaining and deepening our friendship as neighbors, and that they will be with me in Heaven one day. Ted usually calls me “Buddy,” but a few weeks later he called me “Brother,” hopefully a good sign that our friendship in Christ is growing and headed in the right direction. When I arrived home after my delayed walk, my wife informed me that she had prayed before I left the first time, “Lord, please allow Dave to share the gospel with someone.” People tend to respond to the Church & Gospel when somebody puts it to them on a personal basis—personal engagement is very important. And they tend to respond at significant times in their life, fresh starts, seeing some fresh things, (school, new year, baby, house, et. al) [Paraphrased Credit: Pastor Gary V. Carter]

The day was forecast to be over 101 degrees, so I decided to get a morning walk in on the trail before the heat set in. I was weary, but convicted to go back again for about the third time to gift a copy of Jesus Joy to new acquaintances Bill and Rhonda, with whom I enjoyed a delightful conversation by the stream about a month before. They winter in Houston, so I didn’t want to miss them, allowing too much time to go by without reconnecting. The neighbor’s grandson, Isaiah, joined me on my walk, so I asked him if it was OK with him if I tried to drop off the book. There was no sign of activity on the stream side facing the back of their house, so we walked on the access path to the front of their house and I knocked on the door. Their younger son Walter answered, so we had a great chat. I signed the book and gave it to him for his parents, which he was very kind to accept. He asked where I went to Church, as I did him. “But I’m not practicing at this time,” he responded! He is a fifth year college philosophy student working to finish his bachelor’s degree. I thanked him for our time together, then we headed home, because young Isaiah was getting bored, but I thanked him for being with me to share Jesus. I later headed back to the trail and down to the pond, where I looked up and saw seven ducks in a row sitting on a floating log, humorously symbolic to me of God’s beautiful perfection—ultimately His perfect Holiness and Righteousness in Christ. Then on the way home I heard a bike approach from behind, expecting it to pass quickly. But as I turned around the young man stopped, telling me that he just hit a rut, which apparently either shook him or his bike, as he was riding to a friend’s house for a visit. He walked his bike over to the bench and sat down, as I heard him say, “I don’t know where I’m going.” I think he was simply more disoriented on the trail trying to figure out how to get to his friend’s house, than he was shaken after hitting the rut. For just a moment in time I was fearful of witnessing to him, because the last time I shared Christ with two young boys, I ended up as the subject of a police manhunt triggered by their parents. But God gave me the courage to walk over and offer to bless Elliot, since he was a blessing to me. When he looked at the red heart/cross graphic he asked what it was. I told him they were Bible verses. “I’m not very religious,” he said. “I’m not religious either—I just love Jesus,” I responded, as we parted joyfully. I’m glad I’m protected forever as I pray, especially for young people with little or no foundational spiritual grounding. And I’m glad my missionary friend Phil is under God’s loving hand of protection when he distributes the red heart/cross gospel handouts in a state prison. This correction officer came to the Mission for food and Phil also gave him the tracts and Bibles for prisoners.

At the post office I was frustrated because as I waited in line just prior to closing, the busy janitor walked right by me and was doubly friendly with her greeting. I had a fraction of a second to gift her with the gospel. I hesitated because I was not ready, as I watched the door close behind her, knowing that she could have had God’s Holy Word in her hand and maybe her heart, as my heart was buried in regret. I was not ready, prepared or prayed up. A few hours later my close friends Mark and Terry picked me up to go for lunch at a nearby airport, driving his supercharged Mercedes AMG, making numerous “safety checks” (high G-force acceleration) for fun as we drove, which sometimes results in vertigo, affecting my balance in the morning when I try to get out of bed! In the restaurant, I met a wonderful man wearing a large gold cross, seated for dining as I walked by, so I struck up a conversation with him. His name was Marcus, which means warrior. I gave him a gospel handout and enjoyed our brief encounter, not expecting to see him again. But after lunch he was still there with a beautiful woman who may have been his girlfriend or wife, LaTonya. “Are you a pastor?” I asked Marcus. “No,” he responded. “Why not—are you running from God!” I asked, semi seriously, semi humorously. The reaction from both was priceless, with her connecting with my comment immediately, looking at him as if to say, “Well🙺” If I were not protected forever, I wouldn’t have had the courage to ask Marcus that question. These moments are only possible because of God’s intercession through the prompting of the Holy Spirit. I offered to send him a copy of Jesus Joy, which he was happy to receive, so I hope God allows us to foster a friendship in Christ. I sensed God at work, although it is a mystery to me as to what He’s doing and what He will do. I tell God nearly every day, “I will do everything you want me to do.” Often, that includes things in my fallen human nature I really don’t want to do. To date, Marcus and I have not been able to meet again or talk for long on the phone. And on another day as I worked in the garden, Mark pulled up in his car, so we were talking on the street. I noticed curiously on the underside of his arm was a small double tattoo, and I asked him about it. He told me it was two sparrow’s feet, a reminder of God’s provision for him, God’s presence in the moment, “…not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care.” (Matthew 10:29) And symbolically, the sparrow’s feet also remind Mark of hands pointed upward as in praising God. To me, it points to our forever protection under God’s watchcare over us through Christ on the cross. (Isaiah 53:5)

A wonderful friend of mine from Church, Branson, has walked the lonely road through the valley of grief. The loss of his daughter, Patricia, brought him up against a faith wall—either his faith was real or it was not. The pain of her loss drove him deeper in his faith, and he was able to thank God for the blessing of suffering. After my wife, Barbie, had a brain stem stroke, she faced a similar faith wall, “God, You’re either who You say You are or You’re not.” Years earlier in a spinal rehabilitation hospital, I was visiting a young man who broke his back in a skiing accident, and was paralized. “You never know where your faith is until you are flat on your back in a hospital bed,” his dad told me. No matter what life brings our way, as believers in Jesus, we are protected forever.

Sometimes as we run the race marked out for us, it may seem overwhelming, but under God’s forever protection, we know in our running that we are winning. We will receive the prize of God’s presence one day, as we persevere in Christ. (1 Corinthians 9:24, 26; Galatians 2:2, 5:7; Philippians 2:16; Hebrews 12:1) “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.” (2 Corinthians 4:8, 9) But the lost are crushed in spirit, with no hope apart from Christ. (Proverbs 17:22, 18:14) God gave us a high calling to proclaim Jesus to the world of the hopeless, who are desperate for His protection forever, whether they know it or not. According to God’s Holy Word, it is not an option for us—we cannot neglect this responsibility. My friend Chuck King mentioned that the distinguished professor, Dr. Kevin Miller, asked his first year business class how many were in full time ministry—only a few students raised their hand. “Wrong answer. You’re all in full-time ministry,” he stated. By the time they graduated, 100% agreed that they were in full-time ministry! Chuck said they are learning business, to go into full time ministry! May we all be gospel-engaged as God keeps us safe in his dwelling, hides us in the shelter of His sacred tent and sets us high upon a rock. Psalm 27:5

Jesus Joy Blessings,
Dawid Melek