Limits of Protection

Our son, Kyle, has reached a new level of freedom in his life. This freedom comes in the form of bright green, frog look-a-like, rubber wellie boots. Previously, in his new shoes, there was a forbidden territory – puddles. Now, with his protective wellies he can just walk right through them; or (as the case often is) he can stop and splash in them.

However, he soon found the limits to his protection. If he sat down (either accidentally or on purpose) he would get a wet bottom. If he wandered into deeper water than the height of his wellies, he would get wet feet. If he took his wellies off, he would get very wet and cold. He had some lessons to learn.

When we consider the protection of God, we must understand that it comes with a limit on it. But this limitation isn’t God – it’s us. This verse says, ‘I will protect those who trust in my name.’ I’m sure we all trust God to a certain point, but can we honestly say we trust Him wholeheartedly – without reservation or hesitation? We don’t automatically trust God implicitly just because we’re saved. Trust grows as we develop our relationship with Him, just as trust in human relationships grows, over a period of time.

Equally, if we choose to move away from God’s protection through disobedience or venturing into areas that are dangerously ‘deep waters’, then we can find ourselves in trouble and feeling the ill effects of going beyond our protection. As we grow in our relationship with Him, we will find that we can rest in His protection more and more each day. We can enter battles with the enemy in a deeper knowledge and understanding of God and our position in Him, keeping us safe from the enemy’s attacks and allowing us to take enemy ground.

Each time Kyle fell down in the cold, wet, muddy puddles, my husband and I rushed to pick him up and comfort him. At the end of the walk we were wet and muddy where we had held our child close to give him comfort - marks of love, despite his falling down. Our Father in Heaven longs to keep us safe. Yet He also knows we need to grow and develop. Whenever we go beyond our limits, the marks are evident on the hands and feet of Jesus Christ, our Saviour who died for each one of us.

Prayer: Father God, thank You for being my protection. Thank You that, no matter how often I fall, Jesus bears the marks of my moving away from Your protection and that You can bring me healing and comfort for those times. Amen.