I was shocked to learn that a registered sex offender lives in our neighborhood. According to public records, my neighbor was convicted on child pornography charges. Although I’ve never met the man, I hope he’s changed his ways and no longer poses a threat to children. Still, I’ve experienced the urge to permanently quarantine my kids.
The world is full of crime, natural disasters, and other dangers. So even though I want to give my children safe passage from childhood to adulthood, there are no guarantees. I wonder, however, is there something more I should be doing?
Ezra needed safe passage for himself and thousands of Jewish exiles as they journeyed 800 to 900 miles from Babylon to Jerusalem. Their caravan would be carrying millions of dollars worth of gold, silver, and bronze through an area infested with outlaws. They would spend 4 months on the road, and Ezra had to find a way for them to safely make it to the Holy City.
He was ashamed to ask the Persian king for bodyguards because he had previously told him, “Our God’s hand of protection is on all who worship Him” (Ezra 8:22). Ezra had publicly trusted God to defend the Israelites, and he knew true safety was found in Him alone. So Israel’s leader ordered the people to fast and humble themselves before God. The Israelites prayed that God would protect them, their children, and their goods as they traveled (Ezra 8:21). And God heard their prayer! The “gracious hand” of God saved His people from “enemies and bandits” (Ezra 8:31).
Ezra’s faith in God’s protection inspires me to pray for my kids’ safety. After I’ve taken every precaution, I choose to trust that God’s strong hand that holds me will also hold them securely (Psalm 63:8).
NLT 365-day reading plan passage for today: Genesis 9:1-17
More:
Read Psalm 70:1-4 to see an appropriate response to God’s protection. Read 2 Thessalonians 3:1-2 to learn how to intercede for another person’s safety.
Next:
How do you typically react when you or someone you love is threatened? Why is it important to ask God for protection?
onajourney on January 7, 2012 at 8:08 am
I awoke early this morning thinking about our children who live in a foreign country. I was concerned for their safety. What a blessing this devotional is to me. God knew that I needed assurance regarding my loved ones and He led me to this portion of his Word for today. I am once again reassured regarding God’s great care for me and those I love. We are all in His care and keeping each moment of our lives!
jennifer benson schuldt on January 7, 2012 at 8:44 am
onajourney,
It’s great to hear that this part of God’s Word encouraged you. My children are small now, so I haven’t had to face the challenge of living far from them yet–I’m still having a hard time letting them peddle off down the street! 🙂
It is so comforting to know that God can protect our children, whether they are small or grown. I pray that God’s Holy Spirit will continue to comfort you as you think about your children.
GChoo on January 7, 2012 at 11:38 am
I am really thankful that we believe in a true and living God.
It is so true, we can try every means to keep ourselves safe but it does not guarantee we will be totally protected. Just a few weeks ago, a young man from India who came to the UK to study his master’s degree was shot in broad daylight on Boxing Day. Such a devastating news not only to the dead young man’s family but all parents who will grieve for the lost of a young life. All i can do was to pray to God to comfort the family.
My older boy has just gone back to London after the Christmas holidays. I felt a little uneasy, but I know that i can trust God to be there for him. All i can do is to keep praying and trusting God for my son’s safety.
Thank you God for your protection and peace.
jennifer benson schuldt on January 7, 2012 at 1:43 pm
GChoo,
You are right. There are no guarantees that we will be kept safe. Because sin stained the human race in the Garden of Eden, our world fell (Genesis 3:5,6). And, even as Christians, we sometimes experience tragedy as a result of the evil that exists here.
As a bit of encouragement, The Bible says, “The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results” (James 5:16). Also, Matthew 7:7 encourages us to be persistent in our prayers. Don’t stop praying for your son’s safety. God is listening and He is powerful enough to respond—whether your son is close, or far away.
daisymarygoldr on January 7, 2012 at 12:41 pm
That is scary—to live with a sex offender lurking in the neighborhood. Whether they are three or thirty, we are always concerned for the well-being of our children. With high hopes parents send their children abroad to study only to receive their dead bodies. This is every parent’s living nightmare.
To permanently quarantine is a wise decision. When it comes to the safety of children, trust your mother’s instincts. It is best to err on the side of caution and have safety nets drawn. Harmful actions once done cannot be undone.
Setting appropriate boundaries is tough as children will always see it as unloving. My daughter gets upset when we place limitations. Personally, I detested growing up in a jailed environment—fenced in from all sides. We were not allowed to step out of the house without parental supervision. My family could not culturally relate with the locals. In his mind my father was convinced he was a “Jacob” living among strangers and his daughters were like “Dinah”. Life was tough. But in retrospect there are no regrets.
However, despite the strict surveillance of my parents and grandmother, I had experienced getting preyed upon. In most cases—both mine and that of my friends, the perpetrator was someone we knew. The person may not be a registered sex offender but is in a position of trust or responsibility to the child and family—like a teacher, a friendly neighbor, a family friend or physician. In one situation, it felt for sure I would get killed because the man was the father of a friend. I remember, whispering “I love you” to the Lord with every breath I had thought was my last. In a miraculous way the Lord did save me and I came out unscathed. The fire hadn’t so much as touched or singed a single hair, with not even the smell of smoke on me. God watches over His children and is an ever present help in trouble.
We cannot always be physically present to protect our children. And once they are out of sight, they are beyond our control. When we pray and entrust them to God we don’t panic but experience peace. Prayer helps us depend on God—to shield our loved ones from danger and to deliver them from all evil. Thanks Jennifer for the important reminder to ask God for protection.
jennifer benson schuldt on January 7, 2012 at 5:06 pm
daisymarygoldr,
Thank you for your post. I am so sorry for the suffering you experienced during your growing-up years. May God grant you comfort and peace as you heal from these experiences (2 Corinthians 1:4). It’s possible that your words today have helped someone become aware of (and avert) a potentially dangerous situation.
After reading your story, several important points came to mind:
• We need to teach our kids to pray when they are in trouble.
• As parents, we need to be extremely diligent when it comes to the safety of our children.
• Prayer is a main part of helping our kids to be safe.
Thanks again for being kind enough to share your life experiences with us.
OnMyWayHome on January 7, 2012 at 4:32 pm
As our three little girls grew up and went to school (we home schooled for a while) I started to freak out and didn’t know what to do….
How to protect them from a guy, gangs, drugs, etc. It was then my pastor said to me “Let them go Jesus can protect them far better than you can.” He was right and I let them go and He did and has watched them.
Thank you for the Word.
jennifer benson schuldt on January 7, 2012 at 5:10 pm
This is an important reminder. There comes a time when we have to let them go…it’s comforting to think that we’re “letting them go” into God’s care, not just “letting them go” into the world.
melanierweber on January 23, 2012 at 12:46 pm
The “Lost and Found” article by k.t. sim posted on January 23 is extremely helpful for me. Matthew 9:13 quotes Jesus, “I’m after mercy, not religion. I’m here to invite outsiders, not coddle insiders.”
There are family members who are perpetrators of sexual abuse. Who were abused themselves at one time by both women and men. One of them has completed their sex offender treatment program. The other is a work in progress and recently accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior. These two beloved family members have been purified fully through the blood of Jesus.
I ask you Ms. Benson Schudt to consider your opportunity to be an intercessor on behalf of your new neighbor. My prayer is that He will find Jesus as His Savior.
PSALM 103:6-18
God makes everything come out right;
he puts victims back on their feet,
He doesn’t treat us as our sins deserve,
nor pay us back in full for our wrongs.
As high as heaven is over the earth,
so strong is his love to those who fear him.
And as far as sunrise is from sunset,
he has separated us from our sins.
jennifer benson schuldt on January 23, 2012 at 3:33 pm
Thank you for the reminder to pray for the perpetrators of sexual abuse. Both victims and perpetrators can benefit from intercession. God’s grace is sufficient for all of us, indeed.