Safe
“The name of the LORD is a strong tower, the righteous run to it and are safe.” Proverbs 18:10
One evening my husband and I drove by a young man holding a sign that read “Cottonwood please—emergency.” The Holy Spirit stirred my heart and so we turned around, went back and got him. Please hear me, I am not advocating picking up hitchhikers, and have only done so a few times in my life—each with that tug on my heart.
You could see the relief on his face as he realized we were stopping for him. It turns out he was from a small town up north and had taken the bus to Redding, not realizing that by the time he got there he would miss the last bus going to Cottonwood. He was trying to get to his grandfather’s house. It turned out he had very poor vision, and was frightened to be out after dark due to the way the shadows played on his sight. The thought of being alone on the streets of Redding at night was not a pleasant one for him.
This was his first time hitchhiking and someone else had stopped for him before we did, but he had said, “No, thank you”; he told us he got a “bad vibe” from them and thought it was safer to stay than to go with that person. He then said, “But I feel perfectly safe with you.” He had been in our truck all of three minutes.
I thought about how safe I feel with Jesus. “Therefore, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: ‘Look! I am placing a foundation stone in Jerusalem, a firm and tested stone. It is a precious cornerstone that is safe to build on. Whoever believes need never be shaken'” (Isaiah 28:16 NLT). The Precious Cornerstone in us was the reason this young man felt safe, whether he knew it or not.
I also thought about the times when it gets dark in my life and I can’t see what’s going on, but I know in my heart I can trust the Light of the World. “I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in Me will no longer remain in the dark” (John 12:46 NLT). He sees what is going on. He knows what I need and He will guide me safely home, if I trust Him.
Lord, for any lady who is experiencing an emergency in her life or is in a dark place and needs to feel safe, I pray she would take those situations to You, trusting that You will shine a light in the darkness. You know exactly what she needs and You will keep her safe. Amen.