Safe?

                              "My soul clings to You; Your right hand upholds me."
                                                                Psalm 63:8
  
​   ​   Years ago, when I was five or six, I went to an all-you-can-eat restaurant with my family. I went up to get some food with my dad, and, as I wanted to get a little more yumminess onto my plate, I stayed back while my dad started to head to our table. Seconds after he left, I finished. I dashed up to him and grabbed his hand, once more feeling safe (when I was little, I was constantly afraid of being left behind). I had walked but two steps when I heard my dad's voice call out my name from somewhere behind me. I glanced up, confused. I was holding a random man's hand!! I totally freaked out as I let go and ran (as well as I could with a plate in my hand) to my real dad and grasped his hand, now really safe. ​​
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          I tell you this story because sometimes we can be holding onto what may seem safe at first but is really not. We can be holding onto sin, which often feels good at the moment. For example, think of lying. Telling a lie can slip out so easily, and often covering up things with a lie seems safer than telling the truth. But, after a little bit, the safeness and goodness wears off and we feel guilty, and wish we could go back and tell the truth. Or we can be hiding in the darkness, thinking it's safer than being in the light. And then our Father calls us by name, and we look up and realize that we are not safe- we are in fact in the devil's snare- and that we really belong to our Heavenly Father, and He is the only one with whom we can truly be safe. 

   We should be be running to Him from the Devil's lies, grabbing onto His hand. Satan is trying to lie to us and tells us that we are safe where we are. The Bible says that Satan is the "Father of Lies." Don't let him trick you! And remember, God is always with you no matter what! "Draw near to Him and He will draw near to you," it says in the book of James. 

   Where are you right now? Are you in the stronghold of God or in the traps of Satan? Are you really safe where you are, or are you in the Devil's snare? Run to Jesus!! Never, ever stop running to Him. We should be going to Him every waking moment!! Pray constantly! He wants to hear from you and He wants you to be safe with Him.

   This week, I challenge you to run from sin and run instead to God. He loves you no matter what. And it is never too late to turn to Him. Never!! He is waiting patiently for you to come to Him, for you to open the door to Jesus. And when someone is saved, the Bible says this: "I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents" (Luke 15:10). Wow!!

   Never forget that God loves you more than anyone could ever love you and that He'll never stop loving you!! I'm praying for all of you. God bless!