Faithful Protector
2 Thessalonians 3:3 “The Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one.”
Be honest, sometimes as parents we get anxious. We worry about our sons and daughters, where are they? What are they doing and who are they with? Are they making good choices? Then we worry over their safety, are they taking risks? Are they safe on the road? If our brains kick into overdrive we can have them off the side of the road, in a ditch, alone...in the dark in just a matter of seconds. Then we can’t sleep; we worry, we stress and, Oh! Our minds can carry us farther and faster than a NASA rocket. Just one suggestion (or news story) can start our minds spinning and our stomachs churning.
Friends, the Lord is faithful. He’s faithful! He will always be steady, reliable, protective and loving. He’s 100% all the time. We can always rely on Him.
Not only is He faithful, He will establish us. What does that mean? Strong’s Concordance defines ‘establish’ as: to set fast, i.e. (literally) to turn resolutely in a certain direction, or (figuratively) to confirm:—fix, (e-)stablish, steadfastly set, strengthen. (1)
HE will establish our sons and daughters. If they are following Him, He will ensure they are set in the right direction and He will strengthen them. Can we trust Him to do what He says? Of course! Will we, though? We need to check our hearts on this.
Then, He will guard us from the evil one. Not ‘He might’ or ‘He could’ but HE WILL. He will guard us.
Why not take our worry-energy and pour it into prayer? Rather than dwelling on the ‘what-if’s’ we should meditate on the ‘what IS’ and the ‘Who’ that commands the wind and the waves. He can calm the storm in our hearts and minds. Meditate on the Lord’s faithfulness, strength and protection. Trust Him with your precious ones.
“Father, today I pray for your faithful care and protection over (name). Help me to trust You and not slip into having an anxious heart and mind. I know You are faithful, always. I know you are stronger than anything (name) might face today. I know you are able to keep them from the evil one. I pray that You would do each of these today. Lord, guard my own heart and mind in Christ Jesus and let me be an example to (name) of trusting in You and resting in You in every circumstance. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
Pray without ceasing.
G4741 - stērizō - Strong's Greek Lexicon (kjv). Retrieved from https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g4741/kjv/tr/0-1/