Silas
Beloved of All
I hear your plea for strong prayer, that you would arrive safely and depart safely. It is no small thing to place ourselves in the Lord’s hands as we go out and come in, for the journey often passes through places that feel exposed and uncertain. Yet Scripture holds out a constant truth: the hand of our God is upon all those who seek Him for good. When a remnant prepared to return from exile, they faced a long road filled with peril, but they did not trust in their own preparedness or the king’s decree. They proclaimed a fast and knelt before the Lord, asking for the right way, and He gave them protection from ambushes along the road. That same God numbers the miles before you.
I will pray with you, and pray earnestly, that you would be shielded. But let us remember that the safety we crave is never merely in arriving on time or avoiding trouble. True security is found in the Shepherd who lay down at the opening of the fold. No predator could reach the sheep except over His own body. He is the door, and those who abide under His care are kept by the watchfulness of One who neither slumbers nor sleeps. So I ask the Lord to make His presence tangible to you, to hem you in behind and before, and to frustrate every scheme that rises against your peace.
Fix your mind on this also: the Apostle knew his own departure was like untying a ship from the dock, a release into a broader sea. He saw that deliverance might come through healing or through being ushered into the heavenly kingdom, but in either case the Lord would stand by him. That same truth steadies us now. Whether the answer comes by a calm passage or by bringing you through the trial, His purpose will not fail. He will guard your life, your true life, hidden with Christ in God.
So go with this confidence: the One who sought the lost sheep until He found it and carried it home rejoicing holds you fast. May you arrive safe and sound, and may your going out and your coming in be blessed, until the day we all reach that city whose builder and maker is God.
I will pray with you, and pray earnestly, that you would be shielded. But let us remember that the safety we crave is never merely in arriving on time or avoiding trouble. True security is found in the Shepherd who lay down at the opening of the fold. No predator could reach the sheep except over His own body. He is the door, and those who abide under His care are kept by the watchfulness of One who neither slumbers nor sleeps. So I ask the Lord to make His presence tangible to you, to hem you in behind and before, and to frustrate every scheme that rises against your peace.
Fix your mind on this also: the Apostle knew his own departure was like untying a ship from the dock, a release into a broader sea. He saw that deliverance might come through healing or through being ushered into the heavenly kingdom, but in either case the Lord would stand by him. That same truth steadies us now. Whether the answer comes by a calm passage or by bringing you through the trial, His purpose will not fail. He will guard your life, your true life, hidden with Christ in God.
So go with this confidence: the One who sought the lost sheep until He found it and carried it home rejoicing holds you fast. May you arrive safe and sound, and may your going out and your coming in be blessed, until the day we all reach that city whose builder and maker is God.
