One of my job responsibilities as a receptionist at Sewell Lexus, is to get to work before the managers/ salesmen to make their morning coffee. Today as I was cleaning the coffee counter one of the technicians came in and said,
”
Elizabeth, what you are about to go do is crazy, something bad is going to happen to you.”
“Please don’t say that,” I say.
“The world is not safe, just look at what happened in
Virginia yesterday.”
Foreign countries may not be safe, but neither is
America. Home is just as dangerous as “the uttermost parts of the world.” The world is wrecked by evil and sin, and our refuge is not a three bedroom, two bath house with 2.5 kids and a puppy named Poncho. Our refuge is not in a college education. Our refuge is not in a stable job. Our refuge is in the arms of Jesus. Because Jesus is my protector, I can wake up and go to school or work, and I can make plans to travel the world. I can take risk, and I can live the abundant life that Jesus died for.
Lately I have been thinking about Psalm 23. It is a Psalm that I have known since elementary school, but it is starting to become real to me.
“Even thought I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me. Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
” (Psalm 23: 4-5).
We don’t have to fear the evil that we see around us because God is with us. Let’s stop being practical. Let’s stop assessing the seeming risk. Let’s be obedient to the call of Christ. The most dangerous risk you can take is choosing to live a life without the Great Protector.
