To Protect and To Serve

We asked the man if he considers Jesus his Savior, and he said yes.  So then we followed up: "What has Jesus done for you lately?"

The man's quiet voice two seats away was a bit hard for us to hear -- but it sounded like he said the Lord has protected him, along with several of his friends.

The word "protection" comes up in poker from time to time.  We take "card protectors" not only as conversation-starters, but to make sure our cards aren't considered thrown in and folded during hands.  The word also can refer to a player making a huge raise when someone is all-in, giving the at-risk player "protection" from having too many opponents.

But as the man suggested to us the other night, there's a "Protector" in heaven who offers to do much more:

You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.  Selah. - Psalm 32:7

We can think of several times over the years when God seemed to protect us from harm or disaster.  But we also can hear the scoffers, wondering why God didn't protect other believers from harm and death.  At times such as those, our understanding of "protection" needs to change....

For the Lord loves the just and will not forsake his faithful ones.  They will be protected forever, but the offspring of the wicked will be cut off. - Psalm 37:28

Forever?!?!  How?  Another Old Testament book offers this explanation....

The righteous perishes, and no man lays it to heart: and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come. - Isaiah 57:1 (KJV)

The Bible warns evils will increase and times will get worse -- until Jesus returns to bring the kingdom of God in fullness to earth.  I Thessalonians 4 indicates believers then will be resurrected to celebrate and rule with Jesus.  They're protected by the "sleep" of death, until they are raised to eternal life.