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Theology
“You are never more safe than when you are in God’s will.” Where does this saying come from? Some believers think if God calls you to serve Him somewhere dangerous, you will be protected from harm because He has called you and you are obeying. In our culture, safety implies protection from danger. It implies a life in which risk is minimal and there is little chance of pain, suffering, or injury. Coupled with our own desire for survival and selfpreservation we are tempted to see God's protection as a force field that keeps us away from harm. This idea is also derived from verses like Psalm 34:7 “For the angel of the LORD is a guard; he surrounds and defends all who fear him” and Psalm 121:7–8 “The LORD keeps you from all harm and watches over
your life. The LORD keeps watch over you as you come and go, both now and forever.” It also comes from reading stories in the Bible of how God protected His people. For example, the Exodus when the Israelites were being pursued by Pharaoh’s army and God opened the Red Sea for them (Exodus 14), David’s protection from Saul (1 Samuel 23:14), and Daniel in the lion’s den (Daniel 6). And who hasn’t heard or read fascinating stories of present-day believers who were protected from harm and death in miraculous ways? Is the saying “you are never more safe than when you are in God’s will” true then? Does God promise that we will always be kept physically safe if we are doing His will? Is this what we should expect when obeying God’s call? To answer this question, let’s consider some examples. John the Baptist was
