Safety is of the Lord!

As I was putting this message from the Lord together, I said to myself, "Are we doing all that we can, my wife and I, to have God's safety, for us and for our children?" As I prayed and sought God about this, II Peter 1:2 came to mind:

Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord.

After the word from God's Holy Bible spoke to me, I understood more perfectly. We must know how to have God's safety and the only way to get it. First, we must know what God requires of us. We must have knowledge from His Word.

I began seeking the knowledge of God about safety, grace and peace.

If we are kept safe, how does safety come to us? It's not through fences, watchmen, houses, cars or trucks, weaponry, or military might, but it is by God Almighty, through Jesus Christ.

The horse is prepared against the day of battle: but safety is of the LORD. Proverbs 21:31

I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety. Proverbs 4:8

Let's look at seven ways the Holy Scriptures tell us how to have the safety of the Lord:

1. Keeping and doing God's Word will keep us safe!

But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil. Proverbs 1:33

Wherefore ye shall do my statutes, and keep my judgments, and do them; and ye shall dwell in the land in safety. And the land shall yield her fruit, and ye shall eat your fill, and dwell therein in safety. Leviticus 25:18-19

Also, see Leviticus 26:2-5.

We can see that God is telling us that if do the things He has commanded us to do, in His Word, He will not only meet all of our needs, but will keep us safe too. If we're doing our best to please Him, we can live without dread and fear.

2. The fear of God will keep us safe!

There is no king saved by the multitude of an host: a mighty man is not delivered by much strength. An horse is a vain thing for safety: neither shall he deliver any by his great strength. Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy; To deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine. Our soul waiteth for the LORD: he is our help and our shield. Psalm 33:16-20

The fear of the LORD tendeth to life: and he that hath it shall abide satisfied; he shall not be visited with evil. Proverbs 19:23

Also see Jeremiah 32:37-40.

Here the Lord is telling us that if we fear Him, i.e., be afraid of what He can do to us if we sin against Him, He will help us, deliver us, keep evil away from us, and never turn from us.

3. Keeping ourselves in the love of God will keep us safe!

Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. Jude 1:21

But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. I John 2:5

And of Benjamin he said, The beloved of the LORD shall dwell in safety by him; and the LORD shall cover him all the day long, and he shall dwell between his shoulders. Deuteronomy 33:12

4. Being sanctified or separated to the Lord will keep us safe!

Thus saith the Lord GOD; When I shall have gathered the house of Israel from the people among whom they are scattered, and shall be sanctified in them in the sight of the heathen, then shall they dwell in their land that I have given to my servant Jacob. And they shall dwell safely therein, and shall build houses, and plant vineyards; yea, they shall dwell with confidence, when I have executed judgments upon all those that despise them round about them; and they shall know that I am the LORD their God. Ezekiel 28:25-26

How do the heathen, those who are unsaved, know or see that we are sanctified in the Lord? By us not doing the things the heathens do!

Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. II Corinthians 6:17-18

5. Getting the right counsel or advice will help keep us safe!

Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety. Proverbs 11:14

For by wise counsel thou shalt make thy war: and in multitude of counsellors there is safety. Proverbs 24:6

6. Getting the wisdom of God will keep us safe!

My son, let not them depart from thine eyes: keep sound wisdom and discretion: So shall they be life unto thy soul, and grace to thy neck. Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot shall not stumble. When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet. Proverbs 3:21-24

7. After we have done our best, trust God for safety!

The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe. Proverbs 29:25

Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Proverbs 3:5-6

Also please see Psalm 33:21.

Things that will cause us to have that hedge of safety taken from us:

Sometimes, even with our best efforts, we can find ourselves in a very bad and unsafe condition. In the first chapter of Job, we read the story of Job, who was a perfect man. The devil accused him before God, and that safety barrier, or hedge, as Satan referred to it in Job 1:10, was taken away from Job and all that he had. In the next two chapters, we see what happens to a perfect man when God takes that safety away from him. After much affliction, loss, suffering, ultimate humility and repentance, we see the end of the matter with Job. Job 42:12-17.

If we commit iniquity and become wicked God will take His hedge away from us.

If iniquity be in thine hand, put it far away, and let not wickedness dwell in thy tabernacles. For then shalt thou lift up thy face without spot; yea, thou shalt be stedfast, and shalt not fear: … And thou shalt be secure, because there is hope; yea, thou shalt dig about thee, and thou shalt take thy rest in safety. Job 11:14, 15 & 18

Lack of knowledge can cause our children to lose safety!

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children. Hosea 4:6

If we forget God, God will forget our children, and they will no longer have His protection and safety.

Foolishness can cause us to lose our safety!

For wrath killeth the foolish man, and envy slayeth the silly one. I have seen the foolish taking root: but suddenly I cursed his habitation. His children are far from safety, and they are crushed in the gate, neither is there any to deliver them. Job 5:2-4

What does foolish mean? It means "showing folly or lack of judgment, absurd, ridiculous, lacking good sense".

The most serious warning from the Old Covenant:

But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee: Deuteronomy 28:15-68.

In Conclusion: When we do the will of God, we will be safe.

Psalm 91.

The Book of Life

Are all inhabitants written in the book of life to start with? Well, it says there is a book of the living in Psalm 69:28: Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, and not be written with the righteous.

Is it the same? I don't believe so. We see that in this book of the living, those written therein are righteous. We know that all inhabitants of the world are not righteous.

About the Book of Life

The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is. Rev. 17:8

The book of life is the book of eternal life, not of the present-day life on earth. In order for a person to be in the book of life:

1. They must first be saved.

And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it. And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there. And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it. And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life. Rev. 21:24-27

2. They must be laborers, by taking the yoke of Jesus Christ

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. Matt. 11:28-30

And I intreat thee also, true yokefellow, help those women which laboured with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and with other my fellowlabourers, whose names are in the book of life. Phil. 4:3

3. They must overcome

He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels. Rev. 3:5

What must we overcome?

1. The world and the lusts thereof

Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever. I John 2:15-17

2 The flesh

But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof. Rom. 13:14

Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. Eph. 2:3

3. Sin

Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin. Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him. Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. I John 3:4-9

4. The devil

And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. Rev. 12:10-11

After a person is written in the book of life, can they be removed? Yes!

Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin—; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written. And the LORD said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book. Ex. 32:32-33

Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die. Ezek. 18:4

And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. Rev. 22:19

He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels. Rev. 3:5

What happens to those who are not written in, or are blotted out of, the book of life?

And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. Rev. 20:12-15

In other words, they will go to hell. See Rev. 20:12-15 for more information.

And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life. Rev. 21:27

Those who are not written in the Book of Life cannot enter into Heaven.

CONCLUSION:

God knows who is going to be written in the book of life, and He knew it before the foundation of the world. However, there is no way that we know for sure who is written in it. We should always do our best by the direction God has given us to make it into that great book. If a Christian man or woman is backslidden or committing sin regularly, they need to repent, so they will not be removed from eternal life.

Again, when I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; if he turn from his sin, and do that which is lawful and right; If the wicked restore the pledge, give again that he had robbed, walk in the statutes of life, without committing iniquity; he shall surely live, he shall not die. None of his sins that he hath committed shall be mentioned unto him: he hath done that which is lawful and right; he shall surely live. Ezek. 33:14-16

Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; Acts 3:19

Also, see I John 2:1-2.

Jesus will restore the sinner and backslider if they repent. That is the will of God for us.

See Hosea 2:19-20, Isa. 57:17-19, and Jer. 31:3.

Be Encouraged In the Lord

When we look around us and start to see various troubles and sorrows, we tend to dwell more on the negatives than on the things that bring positive thoughts.

In our society, we can certainly see the absolute deterioration of honesty and integrity, and the lack of the fear of God. But, if we are genuinely in the grace of God, we can find encouragement, by faith in His Holy Word that never changes.

The word "encourage" is only used eleven times in our Bible, but God does want us to encourage each other; not only in His Word, but also in the things of this world that are just and right.

Moreover he commanded the people that dwelt in Jerusalem to give the portion of the priests and the Levites, that they might be encouraged in the law of the LORD. II Chronicles 31:4.

King Hezekiah told the children of Israel to give the Levites, the priests of the Lord, their portion of food and offerings to encourage them. Why? So the Levites could take care of their priestly duties, without having to be concerned for their own food and upkeep. This allowed them to focus on their primary duty.

What encourages us? We get encouragement from a good job, a good work schedule, good health, a nice place to live, good fellowship, good family life, etc. Many people can encourage us: our spouses, our bosses, our parents, our friends. God uses these things and these people to encourage us; however, most of His encouragement comes from His messenger.

In Deuteronomy 1:38, God told Moses to encourage Joshua:

But Joshua the son of Nun, which standeth before thee, he shall go in thither: encourage him: for he shall cause Israel to inherit it.

And again, in Deuteronomy 3:28:

But charge Joshua, and encourage him, and strengthen him: for he shall go over before this people, and he shall cause them to inherit the land which thou shalt see.

God spoke to Joshua and gave him great encouragement. He does the same for us, speaking to us through His Word.

Now after the death of Moses the servant of the LORD it came to pass, that the LORD spake unto Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' minister, saying, Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel. Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses. From the wilderness and this Lebanon even unto the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and unto the great sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your coast. There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them. Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest. This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. Joshua 1:1-8.

Also, see Deuteronomy 7:1-15, for encouraging words from the Lord to Moses.

Sometimes we may not get encouragement from others, when we need it. Then, we can encourage ourselves!

And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God. I Samuel 30:6

How? In the Lord! We can always encourage ourselves, i.e., have greater faith, by doing the right things We can trust that the power that is above all powers in Heaven and earth will help us in everything we need.

Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. I John 3:21-22

Please note that this is conditional; we must keep His commandments in order for this promise to take effect.

If we are doing our best to serve God and to keep His commandments, he will meet all of our needs, and will encourage our hearts.

But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19.

This does not only mean material needs, such as food and clothing; Paul said ALL your needs. This includes the need for companionship, the need for security, and the need for encouragement when things are looking bleak, as well as any other need you may have.

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. Matthew 6:33-34.

When we put serving God first in our life, He will take care of the rest. What things was He talking about? Any of the things that you need. And when our needs are met, we most certainly will be encouraged!