Keep Us From Harm~

Monday greetings:)


One of my favorite quotes goes like this: "Seven days without prayer makes one weak." But I know it does not apply to any of us; feel free to share it with the heathens in your life!


At this point we are all so familiar with Jabez and his awesome prayer that we should all be eager and ready to approach God wiht the same requests. Jabez did not hold back and we shouldn't either.

1 Chronicles 4:10 Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, "Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain." And God granted his request.


Last week we ended with a closer look at what it means to have God's hand with us. Today we look at Jabez's request to keep him from harm.


H-A-R-M--the possibilities are endless. Other versions of the Bible say "evil," or "trouble."


Frankly, I try not to watch the news too much because there's so much in it about harm, evil, and trouble; it's easy to lose our focus on Whose child we are. We can become downright paranoid, which would be a direct defiance of one of God's most beautiful encouragements. Philippians 4:8 "And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise."


God encourages us to fix our thoughts on the good stuff because dwelling too much on the bad stuff will drive us nuts. But what are we to do with the fact that harm actually does exist and in abundance? How can we think on the lovely and pure and right when so many things are unlovely and dirty and wrong wrong wrong?


The first step is to take a queue from Jabez and do what he did. Cry out to God to keep you and the ones you love from harm.


I just served six days on a jury for the trial of a man accused of sexually assaulting three different women during a massage. The details were graphic and troubling. I had difficulty sleeping just thinking about the allegations and my responsibility to do justice. All kinds of thoughts kept popping into my head about my daughters, sisters, friends, children I know, and just how vulnerable we can all be.


On the third night of tossing and turning, I had enough. I whispered to God Jabez's prayer word for word. I found great comfort in knowing that God understands there is evil in this world, that we humans are susceptible to all kinds of fears, and that He provides protection in response to our pleas.


PRAYER: Dear Lord, Keep us and our families from all harm. Thank You that Your hand is with us, and we are covered, protected, and shielded all the days of our lives. In Jesus' name, AMEN~