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We pray for it quite often – traveling, kids are off to school, every day all day we pray for safety for ourselves and our loved ones.

But does God tell us to pray for safety?

Sure, I believe He does. 1 Samuel 2:9, 2 Samuel 22:3-4 – and the list could go on of places in the Bible where we’re told to look to God for our physical wellbeing.

Thing is, I think we see ‘safety’ differently than God sees it.

We say safety, and we mean our world is not upended at all…safety from discomfort, safety from poverty, safety from someone doing wrong to us.

We need to change how we think of that word, because we’re misusing it, creating a false expectation of what God will do when it comes to keeping us safe.

You see, I believe these verses mean that God IS our safe place. It doesn’t mean nothing bad will happen to us, it means that when something bad happens, God remains steadfast. He is the One who can and will comfort us. When we are His child, he protects us spiritually. Running to Him for comfort protects us mentally.

And honestly, being a child of God means that even when we die we are safe – because we’re safe in heaven.

Too often, though, we ask God to keep us safe, and what we mean is “Wrap us in a cocoon of unhurt.” Then, if something bad does happen we get angry and bitter at God, asking Him why He didn’t deem us worthy of being kept out of harm’s way, why He didn’t seem to care enough to protect us. When in fact, He WAS protecting us – all we had to do was run into His arms and He’d care for us.

So next time you go to pray for safety – make sure you’re praying for God’s type of safety.

About the Author:

Sherry grew up in various cities around northern and central California. This gave her all sorts of stories that sat and festered in her brain, waiting to be let loose. She eventually went to college in Wisconsin, where she met her equally frenetic husband, Rich. They have six (yes, count them) children, two dogs and a cat, and currently reside in a madhouse in the southern California area. As a family, they enjoy being active in their local church. Sherry spends her time writing when not caring for Granny, the kids, the dogs, the cat and any number of strays in the neighborhood.

Sherry Chamblee can be found at http://www.sherrychamblee.weebly.com Or check out her books at http://www.amazon.com/Sherry-Chamblee/e/B00BA06RJ2/