Safety involves not picking your phone while
driving, right? Wrong, apparently, because it may be an urgent or life-saving
matter. I remember seeing a WhatsApp broadcast about someone who lost his life
because he didn’t pick his friend’s warning phone call about highway bandits.
Like me, you have probably seen a bunch of other messages about various dangers
and how to stay safe from them. Some are very valid, some are
conflicting/contradictory, some are far-fetched; some are simply baseless.
There’s so much information going around about safety from criminals; traffic,
fire & home accidents; diseases ranging from infections to cancers; natural
elements & disasters; dangerous foods, parasites, animals & plants.
Is that bad? Not necessarily. In fact, having
knowledge and using it right is good. However, there’s only so much knowledge
you can be conscious of and also use. There are only so many safety rules you
can keep. Safety rules are fast becoming like the Law of Moses (impossible to
keep). In the midst of all that, there are new discoveries every single day
that sometimes contradict the previous information; demanding a shift in
thinking & practice where health & safety are concerned. There are
certain foods & drugs that are recommended for certain purposes and are
later "un-endorsed" based on new discoveries. A classic example: wheat-based meals
for diabetics. The drug examples are too numerous to count.
There’s another category of dangers: the ones
an individual can do absolutely nothing about. You’ve heard of stray bullets,
planes crashing into homes, freak accidents, road traffic accidents where
passers-by die, idiopathic diseases & random acts of violence. That’s not
to mention the activities of demons where sickness, accidents & natural
disasters & other evils are concerned.
Behold, I show you a
mystery…..
There is no such thing as absolute safety in
the natural world. It’s a world fraught with dangers; everything is a potential
harm. That’s because the world system lies under the influence of the wicked
one (2 Corinthians 4:4; 1 John 5:19). Absolute safety, then, can only be found in
living above the currently prevailing influence in this realm; living in a
different realm that is untouchable by death. The good news is: you are already
in that realm, child of God! We are seated with God in heavenly places in
Christ, FAR ABOVE (Ephesians 1:20&21; 2:6).
One secret of the believer’s safety is to live
in the name of Jesus. The name of the Lord, for us, is not just a strong tower
that we run into (Proverbs 18:10); it’s our dwelling place (Psalm 91:1). We are
dead and our life is hid with Christ in God (Colossians 3:3). David said it
this way: because you have made the LORD, who is my refuge, even the Most High,
your habitation; there shall no evil befall you, neither shall any plague come
near your dwelling (Psalm 91:9&10). For us, the name of the Lord is no
longer just a refuge we run into; it’s a habitation, a dwelling place. We live
there! And in His name, no evil befalls us, no plague comes near there!
The name of Jesus is a location. We live in it. Our realm is different. Live in the name and death can’t touch you. Walk in the name and your feet will never slip. Eat & drink in the name, nothing deadly will harm you. Drive in the name, no accident will touch you. Commute in the name. Travel in the name and you will return in peace. Sleep in the name and you will wake up refreshed & whole. Go in the name and your goings will be made sure. Even if you use drugs, use the drugs in the name! There’s absolute safety in the name & only in the name!
By all means, eat a balanced diet, avoid harmful foods & food quantities; exercise, follow general safety rules; be aware of your environment, do all you can to live healthy & safe; but always be conscious of this; live by this truth: after all said & done, your safety, your absolute safety is in the name of Jesus. Live in the name!
