Safety: We are loved and secured wherever he sends us

Jesus says in Matthew 16: 24-25 “…If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of me will find it”.

This is to be clear: We are never solely safe in our own hands. However, when we find ourselves in the hand of Jesus, anything can happen and our safety won’t be compromised.

To an extreme point — Stephen was murdered, yet still safe! He was accused of blasphemy which was the same erroneous claim that the Pharisees and Sadducees made of Jesus. But in this instance, the young deacon wasn’t claiming to be YAHWEH, but that Jesus was!

We could imagine that, while costly, Stephen understood the immeasurable value that came with following Jesus and being His friend. He clearly had profound confidence that he was entrusting himself with the one “…who is able destroy both soul and body in hell”.

GOD is not bound by anything, not even our earthly bodies. And like a king that has authority over all, not even the stop of a heartbeat can penetrate GOD’s protecting hand over us!

From physical afflictions to words being used as bullets to kill us, nothing can destroy what Jesus has already saved. Let us constantly remind ourselves and our friends of the trustworthiness and safety that’s found in Christ Jesus.

Questions to ponder:

1. How does Jesus' teaching in Matthew 16:24-25 about denying ourselves and taking up our cross resonate with my understanding of what it means to follow Him? How can I practically apply self-denial in my daily life as a follower of Christ?
2. Do I truly believe that I am safe in Jesus? Why or why not?