“Unless the Lord builds a house, its builders labor over it in vain; unless the Lord watches over a city, the watchman stays alert in vain” Ps 127:1.
Yesterday, this verse “came alive” to me. I had gone to run an errand when a neighbor came by to borrow a yard tool. While he and hubby chatted for a few brief minutes, our littlest one let herself out the back door, somehow unlatched the backyard gate and began walking down the stairs toward the street. Hubby “happened to” see her before she reached the bottom of the stairs. How grateful we were that he found her before she got to the street!
Then last night, around 11:30, little lady woke me up with her crying (an almost predictable nightly occurrence). After comforting her and putting her back to bed, “something” made me go into the big kids’ room to check on them. Apparently they had wanted a dimmer nightlight than the one they had. So they took a (plugged-in, turned-on!) clip lamp down and laid it on the floor. They then covered it up with a blanket. By the time I found it, the lamp was very hot and I could smell the plastic warning label melting. I quickly unplugged it and took it from the room, then knelt by my bed and thanked God for His protection over my kids.
In one day, all three of our kids inadvertantly got themselves into dangerous situations “behind our back.” In one day, our lives could have been forever changed. As I lay in bed with racing thoughts full of “what-if’s,” God reminded me of the above verse. We can do everything in our power to protect our children. We cover outlets. We turn pot handles to the back. We wear seatbelts and sit in booster seats. We screen the movies our kids watch. We have parental controls on our computers. We only leave them in the care of those we trust. And the list goes on. We try, as every loving parent does, to protect our babies in every possible way.
But ultimately, at the end of the day, God is their ultimate Protector. All our protecting would be in vain if not for God. But when God is watching over them, they are protected even from dangers we parents cannot see. Because He sees everything. He is omniscient (all-knowing). He is omnipresent (everywhere). And He is omnipotent (all-powerful). Does this mean that nothing harmful or painful will ever happen to them? No. But it does mean that they are never out of His care. He can use even evil or hurtful things for their benefit – ultimately to draw them to Himself, which is His ultimate act of mercy and protection.
This is so comforting to me. I’m grateful that it’s not all up to us! Because we make mistakes. We miss things and don’t always see the dangers lurking in the shadows. But God does. He gives us wisdom in parenting, but He also makes up for our mistakes (or just our plain humanity).
One more thought came to mind as I pondered the events of the day. My heart was so grateful for God’s goodness in preventing harm. His love and kindness were so obvious. But in the midnight stillness, He whispered to my heart that His character is unchanged by my circumstances. He was loving and good to alert us to danger and protect our kids…yes! But if the unthinkable had happened (as it has to so many precious parents), He wouldn’t cease to be loving and good. Bad things, horrible things, happen in this fallen world. God does not always prevent harm. This is illustrated in Hebrews 11 where we see that some Christians, by faith, escaped the edge of the sword, while others died by the sword (v. 33-38). Sometimes we are delivered from evil unharmed. Sometimes unthinkable pain crashes into our lives. But always, God is with us (Heb 13:5, Is 41:10). He never changes. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Heb 13:8). What He has revealed to you about Himself in the good times…He’s still all those things. What His Word says about Him…He’s still that God, despite what circumstances or emotions scream to your soul.
So may these two thoughts encourage your heart today – God is our ultimate Protector, and He is sure and unchangeable, throughout the shifting sands of time. May you rest in Him today.
“I will both lie down and sleep in peace, for You alone, Lord, make me live in safety” Ps 4:8.
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