Protection

Scripture reading: Job 1:6-22

About a year ago, we took a weekend away in St. Augustine to tour the Castillo de San Marcos. If you have not been there, it is definitely worth touring at least once. It is a landmark in this country’s history.

Let me set this stage for you. On top of the main part of the castle is a deck where an array of canons sit. These were long range canons intended to protect not just the castle but also the city. In the 1500s when the castle was built, they did not have building codes or railings. The park rangers made it a point to instruct us to be extra careful because there were areas with no railings. We went up to the roof deck, and the view was good. It also felt as though we had stepped back into time, imagining that foreign ships were coming into the inlet to attack and hearing the canons fire in response.

During most of our time there, my youngest son resisted having his hand held. He insisted on his freedom. Normally this would not bother me too much, but we were in a big city, walking busy streets, around crowds of people, and now on the roof deck of Castillo de San Marcos. He continued to resist having his hand held and at one point slipped out of my hand. Just a few minutes later, my oldest son was calling his name and telling him to come back. I turned around, and my youngest son was on the edge of the roof deck. Fortunately, he came away from the edge on his own. Did I mention that it was a windy day and that a strong gust could have caused him to lose his balance? It was a tense moment for me.

It bothers me that he has been tempted into disobedience, yet in the moment I failed to be thankful for what did not happen. It is a reminder of how often we can focus on the difficulty and overlook what did not happen.

He did not fall off the roof deck, which would have mean serious injury or death. He did not get lost or run over by a car. It is a reminder of how closely we are watched and guarded by God’s angels. Sure, it is frustrating in the moment that we have to constantly get after one of our children, but it is quite comforting to know that God’s angels are ever-present, especially in times when danger is near.

Job had plenty of reasons to complain and be frustrated. Still, there was plenty for which he could be thankful. Satan points out that God had set up a hedge about Job to protect him from Satan. God had set up many layers of protection around Job because of his faithfulness and trust in the Lord. These layers of protection are invisible, and in times of difficulty, it is easy to doubt that the protection is still there. Job refused to believe that God had abandoned him despite all the tragedy surrounding him. In the space of one chapter in the Bible, Job went from a wealthy man to being destitute. It was not enough to shake his trust in the Lord. Job held strong to this trust (see Job 42:2-13).

If we focus on what we do not have and what we lost, we lose sight of God. We forget that God is actively working in our circumstances. If, instead, we focus on those invisible layers of protection that He promises to give us, we will not be distracted by the difficulties around us. God will protect us and be true to us. Our only task is to remain strong in our trust in Him and believe that He will be there no matter what happens. Sometimes have to be reminded of just how near He is, and I am so glad that He is always near … even when we take a weekend away to Castillo de San Marcos.