Safety Net

 

When I was a kid I knew my father loved me. I remember when he was a cab driver. He came to pick my siblings and me up and somehow we ended up with him at work. Being the curious soul I am, I peered out of the window of the cab in awe. I thought my father was just the coolest man alive. The problem, I didn’t close the door all the way and with the cab in motion, the door swung open with me attached to it. I never saw my father move so fast to grab me so I wouldn’t fall out. Fast forward to the year I was 19 and pregnant. I remember him telling my now ex-husband that he would never know a father’s love until our daughter was born. He followed up by telling him that if he ever laid one finger on me, the consequences could be fatal; my ex-husband is 10 years older than I. Even at 19 years old, my father was still protective of me.

When my daughter was 18 months old, my ex-husband and I got into a fight over something he had done. He’d hit me and I fought back. Not long after, I walked to my father’s house with my daughter perched on my hip. I cried the entire way there. I wondered how someone could claim to love you and yet, hurt you because of getting caught in something they had done. Upon arriving, I knocked on the door and my father answered. He looked at me and asked what was wrong. I told him and saw his demeanor change instantly. After ushering us in, my father went about putting on his military fatigues so he could pay my ex-husband a not so nice visit. He called my mother and told her what had happened. Long story short, had it not been for my mother rushing to the apartment my ex-husband and I shared, he would not be alive to tell the tale. He still laughs about it and my father can’t understand how after all of these years, my ex-husband still doesn’t understand a father’s love. Now at 43, I still look at my father in awe and he never ceases to remind me how much he loves and cares for me. Despite being a couple months shy of 70, he would still slay the dragons in my life if need be.

There really is nothing like a father’s love for his children and I’m thankful to know how that feels on this physical realm as well as the spiritual one. Many people live life afraid of the things they can’t see or touch. Many believers profess to be sold out for God, yet, they don’t fully trust Him with all of them. Some think God cares about parts of their lives, and not other areas. If they really knew God and spent time in His word, they would know that to be His child means that He will be our dragon slayer if allowed to be. The Bible is full of promises He made us before He breathed us into existence. For example:

• When facing unsure situations or circumstances, Deuteronomy 31:6 encourages us to “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you, He will never leave you nor forsake you.”
• When people try to bully or manipulate you for their own selfish gain, David reminds us, in Psalm 56:3-4, “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise – in God I trust and am not afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?
• When doubt and fear have us paralyzed, Isaiah 41:10 reminds us “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
• When life becomes overwhelming and jars us, the writer of Corinthians 16:13 reminds us to “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.
• 2 Timothy 1:7 tells us “For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.”
• When our enemies seek to cause us harm, Isaiah 35:4 is a great consolation, “say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, He will come with vengeance; with divine retribution He will come to save you.”

All of these scriptures tell me that no matter what life throws at me, I’m not alone and don’t have to be afraid because God has my back. He is my safety net and will protect me from everything. When people wrong me, I know that if I trust God whole heartedly and am honest with Him about what I feel, He will handle the situation in His way. There is nothing I can do that God can’t do better and yield the results He intended (Psalm 27:2; Genesis 50:20). When we believe, with our whole heart, that NOTHING can be gained by being and EVERYTHING can be worked out in our favor because of our unyielding faith in God, life becomes easier. Knowing that our Father in heaven will fight on our behalf and that He must make good on the promises He made us (Isaiah 55:11), we can have peace of mind, heart and spirit. Just like my father coming to my rescue as a child, young adult and almost middle aged, God will do the same for His children who trust and believe in Him. Blind faith (Hebrews 11:1), like that of a child, is what God desires from each of us. What fears are paralyzing you? Have a heart to heart with your heavenly Father and allow Him to move on your behalf and cause that fear to melt away.