Physical Risk Can Be Mitigated; Spiritual Protection Is Guaranteed
Word-of-the-Day: ‘(16) <God said to Isaiah,> “See, it is I who created the blacksmith who fans the coals into flame and forges a weapon fit for its work. And it is I who have created the destroyer to wreak havoc; (17) no weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and this is their vindication from me,” declares the LORD.’ (Isaiah 54:16-17)
With the security of the President in question, after three serious attempts to assassinate him over the last three years, and with reported security breaches of various venues – including churches – across the country, the question crops up; are we safe? It is, of course, known to us life has risks daily, and we need to do our best to protect ourselves and others around us. Going to the grocery store has risks; auto accidents, getting hit or robbed in the parking lot, even a case of canned vegetables on a shelf falling on your head are all on the realm of possible risks that could harm you.
Most of the time we mitigate those risks. We drive our cars, buckled up and surrounded by air bags that (hopefully) will go off and hold us in place in the case of a crash. Cars are equipped today with backup cameras and mirrors so others can see us walking behind their cars so they don’t back up into us, and most stores have either surveillance cameras and adequate lighting to deter the robbers and so we can see someone trying to sneak up on us out of the dark. The case of veggies is usually placed on a lower shelf, so the store doesn’t get sued for a severe injury if the case falls (though it could cause a broken toe or foot, better than a fractured skull).
In the case of the President, two of those three attempts were thwarted prior to the President being in immediate danger. The first one, however, the attacker at Butler, Pennsylvania was able to shoot at the President but just barely grazed his ear, kill one bystander and wound two others before he was stopped. Though there were Secret Service and Pennsylvania police set up to minimize such a risk, the attacker nevertheless was able to take his shot at the soon-to-be returning President. In all three situations, the President has not stopped his public appearances or gone into hiding; the President continues to lead by example and by being available to the people.
As in the case of the President, not all mitigations can stop all the risks. People still get killed in auto accidents, despite cameras and lighting people get hit or robbed in parking lots, and though one may not get struck by a falling case of canned spinach, there are people who get hurt from slipping, having things fall from an upper shelf, or receiving cuts from glass jars breaking or metal protruding from shelves or refrigeration units. Not all dangers can be accounted for; even if one wraps themselves in bubble wrap or wears body armor plating on the head and torso, there is always something that could happen to get around those protections and harm an individual in the physical sense.
To the Believer, however, God protects the most important part of us, our spirit, or soul. We may not have complete security that surrounds us physically, but Spiritually God protects us. Isaiah 53 provides that the Messiah will be (and has been) sent to subject Himself to be ridiculed, despised, and punished – not for His transgressions, which He has none, but for our sins. Isaiah 54 is a promise God makes to us; that in sending the Messiah, who we know Jesus have a secure future, that the Lord will never again allow us to be harmed. This protection from harm is not of the physical but of the Spiritual. Unlike physical protection that can fail, His Spiritual protection will not.
In Isaiah 54:16, God tells us that there is a ‘destroyer’, Satan, that is the cause of distress in our lives, to destroy those who are not of Christ, derailing their spirit into despair and loss of hope. This may be through physical harm or mental anguish that God understands will occur, as He created Lucifer, and when he became Satan when he rebelled against God, was allowed to cause havoc on Earth among the people. But God also provided us a shield against this despair and provides us Hope reinforced through Jesus His Son, so that in His Blessed Assurance, while physically our protection may fail, His Spiritual protection will not, as stated in Isaiah 54:17.
The risk of physical destruction is thus mitigated by the Spiritual protection promised to us by God. We know that all people will die; save for Elijah and Enoch, it is foreseen that they may be the two that will come back and witness to the people for 3½ years before they are killed, in Revelation 11. Thus, they will die as well, for sharing the Gospel message of forgiveness through repentance and accepting Jesus as Savior. Because we know that one day, our life will expire, it is important for us not to fear physical death, but be courageous in His Spiritual protection to do what God intends for us to do.
We may die without incident, at an old age without trauma. Or it may be due to an accident, illness, or injury. Some of us may be killed for our work, indirectly or directly in the line of our Christian walk. Only Jesus can be sure of the President’s Spiritual standing, but we do know what he is doing is in God’s plan. What we do, whether it is directly involved in God’s work or not, is in the framework of His plan. The Lord can protect us from harm physically, especially if it lifts Him in glory; or He may have, in accordance to His plan, our demise, especially if it lifts Him in glory.
Our desire should be to live long, and all of us have a certain trepidation, perhaps not a fear but a natural tendency to steer away from grave harm or deadly pursuits. I, for one, look both ways in crossing the street to check our mailbox as I do not want to test God to protect me, or the braking abilities of the car bearing down on me. However, I do not fear sharing God’s Word with others in public, or showing that I am a Follower in my words (spoken or sometimes worn) or actions. I mitigate physical risks (buckling up in the car, having situational awareness, and yes, staying armed), but walk unafraid of Spiritual ones as I have His Assurance of Isaiah 54:17 that I will not be harmed Spiritually – and He may protect me physically, as well, if that glorifies Him.
The President understands in his role that he needs to be courageous in the face of physical risks, and that they are mitigated to the highest degree possible, but things can still happen. We must also recognize this, that our risks are mitigated to a high degree, but do not let fear stop you from doing what needs to be done. We must shop for food and clothing; we must get out of the house for errands and more importantly to go and perform the Great Commission and share the Gospel with those who we meet. Be courageous, don’t fear and go do what needs to be done!
