Watched and Protected
by Gemma Gardner
It is Sunday afternoon as I am sitting at my computer writing this Seed, and I have just returned from taking our dog, Sid, out for a walk in the local park. I always take him out in the afternoons on a Sunday and my husband, Dean, does the morning walk.
A few Sundays ago, I had just set out with Sid and had walked a few yards, and then felt prompted to stop and pray for the Lord’s protection as we walked the short distance to the park. It was only moments later, when I was about to cross a busy road, that, somehow, I tripped and landed flat on my chest in the road. Sid was strapped to my waist with a hands-free lead, so he couldn’t wander off. I could hear cars in the distance and realised I was in danger of being run over, so I got up as quickly as I could and crossed over to the park. I hadn’t broken any bones, and there were no cuts on my hands, but I had hurt my ribs, and it took about a fortnight to get over the pain in my chest.
As I walked home, I wondered why it was that I had fallen, moments after asking for the Lord’s protection, but on the other hand, I realised that He had protected me, because I could have been run over, as cars go very fast on that road, or I could have broken bones. When I got home and told Dean what had happened, he remarked that the Lord does promise to keep us from all harm, but He never promised that we wouldn’t get hurt sometimes. In Psalm 37:23-24, it says, ‘The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand’. Psalm 34:19 also says, ‘The righteous person faces many troubles, but the Lord comes to the rescue each time’.
Maybe you are going through a hard time right now, and you are wondering why God is allowing you to suffer so much. King David, who wrote the above scriptures, certainly knew what trouble was. And yet he could testify that the Lord had rescued him. Christians are not given exemption from the problems of this life. Jesus warned us that we would have tribulation, but the difference is the Lord is with those who are His people.
Prayer: Dear Lord Jesus, I want to pray for anyone who is reading this and is going through any sort of trouble just now. Please would You keep them safe and let them know that You are with them. In their weakness You are strong, and You will bring them through, and they will not be harmed. You will never let them go. Amen.
Gemma Gardner lives in Norfolk with her husband, Dean, who until recently worked at Ellel Grange. They are both part of the Associate Ministry team which Gemma joined after completing the Modular school. Gemma has experienced the Lord`s healing and restoration over many years and longs to see Him healing other broken people. Gemma loves listening to music, cooking, knitting and crochet as well as outdoor exercise. She enjoys playing guitar and singing worship songs.
Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship. Provided full acknowledgement is made to Seeds of the Kingdom as the source, you are also welcome to use it in a non-commercial way and reproduce it in magazines or other Christian websites. The copyright for any commercial use of the material remains with Ellel Ministries International.
