The world is a dangerous place. Tornados . . . earthquakes . . . tsunamis . . . and that was just last month. Besides all of the “acts of God” (as the insurance companies call them), wildfires and nuclear radiation have pushed warnings about the dangers of global warming from the front page of the national news.
American troops are engaged in armed conflict in three different areas of the world. That’s not good; but as the news of another civil war breaking out in another country seems to become routine, it may certainly cause you to reconsider your plans to travel internationally.
Have you looked at a local crime map recently? If you have, you know there are some places where you better make sure the doors are locked and windows are rolled up when you park your car. Even the short stroll from the car to the front door can feel like a sortie in enemy territory.
It all makes you think you might just be better off if you stayed close to home. The problem with that is over half of auto accidents occur within a five-mile radius of your home. Staying home is not a solution, either. As people spend more time at home, they raise their chances of getting injured in their house.
Danger, trouble, even calamity may cause you to wonder what you are doing wrong. Let me remind you that Jesus told his disciples, “In this world you will have trouble” (John 16:33b). The apostle Paul certainly experienced trouble: opposition, riots, threats, beatings, imprisonment, ship wreck, just to name a few. And yet, Paul tells the Romans, “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us” (8:18).
How can Paul make such a bold claim? It is because he has faith that the God who saved him by grace will be with him to preserve and protect him. Grace does not leave us defenseless. Indeed, God’s grace assures our security—and not just from the threats from natural disaster, environmental destruction, or civil unrest. God’s grace is the reason you can stand confidently when it seems that there is an all-out assault against your soul.
How do you respond to questions and accusations that trouble your conscience? How do you deal with fears and doubts that unsettle your heart? Paul invites us to consider several important questions in Romans 8:31-35 that lead to an unshakable confidence of God’s grace.
It’s truly amazing!
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