“For the LORD protects the bones of the righteous;
not one of them is broken!”
Psalm 34:20
“He will not let your foot be moved;
he who keeps you will not slumber.”
Psalm 121:3
There is no doubt in my mind that God protects us from all danger and harm. People always ask me this question: Does God protect us? I respond back by asking two questions: Are you walking in righteousness? And are you listening and obeying what He is telling you? These are your keys to His protection. Righteousness and obedience. Loyalty to God and God alone. God is not looking the other way, sleeping, or ignoring His own. No way will He allow your foot to be moved.
“The Lord protects the righteous.” Let’s take a good look at this word, “Righteous,” again. It really begins here. God does NOT exempt us from trials, but He sure does bring us through them victoriously. The righteous are people who walk upright. They are ethical people. They do not compromise under any circumstances no matter who likes them or not. They refuse to yield to evil and ungodly behaviors. They stand their ground and God keeps their foot from moving. They don’t slip and fall. They are steadfast. They stand strong, they are unmoved by what others think or say, and they are unfaced by being shunned, unfriended, or ignored. They don’t care. They are sold out to God and God alone.
Righteous people uphold honorable behaviors. They are pure of heart. The Bible says, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God,” (Matthew 5:8). This is extremely important. “Blessed” brings in the very presence of God into their lives. These people are spiritually mature in God. Having a pure heart means they walk in integrity, display godly character, and showcase moral courage. You see that? It is all about their noble ways, purity of heart, law-abiding actions, complete faithfulness in God’s ways, and their walk in holiness. They are innocent and guiltless of wrongdoing, devoted to Jesus Christ and His ways, and unashamed of the Gospel and it’s teaching.
You see, they are practicing Colossians 1:10, “That you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;” It is all about walking in righteousness. This kind of walking pleases God. In return, it produces blessings and protection. Most importantly, we are given more knowledge of who He is. God through the Holy Spirit shows where He is taking us. This surrendered life leads, guides, and brings us an irreproachable life. Walking with Him assures us of His presence, power, and protection in our lives. Are you getting the picture?
Righteous people are blameless before God. Let’s remember Abraham. "When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, 'I am El-Shaddai--'God Almighty.' Serve me faithfully and live a blameless life," (Genesis 17:1). This was not a suggestion to him or to us today. If we want the Abraham blessings, then we must walk righteously before God. There is no other way.
Let me share this quick story to bring it home. Yesterday, I took my daughter out for a drive. We were listening to worship music. She was sitting next to me on the passenger side, singing and drawing. I was silently worshiping and praying. All of a sudden, there was this mini truck behind us. I saw the vehicle way too close behind us. I said, “Ellianna, I am going to slow down so that the vehicle behind us knows he is too close to us.” The guy behind me was just not going to back off. I began to feel uneasy. In that split second, I heard God say, “Bring down your window and stick your hand out the window and motion for him to back off.” I told Ellianna what I was about to do. She felt a bit uneasy with that idea. I told her, “Ellianna, I am going to do what God told me to do. I have no idea what is happening in front of us because we are driving on a winding road. Who knows what is coming around the bend? There could be a deer in the middle of the street, and I will have to slam on the brakes and that truck is going to slam right into us.” So, I did exactly what God told me to do. I came to a very slow speed to make myself very clear to that guy that I wasn’t going to speed up and that I was expecting him to keep his distance from me.
Just as I was coming around the bend of that winding road, guess what was in the middle of the street? A huge wild turkey. I had to slam on my breaks to not hit it. Had I not listened to what God told me or been intimidated by my passenger, I would have hit that turkey, lost control of the car as I was coming around that bend, and the van behind me would have smashed right into us.
I took this opportunity to speak into my daughter’s heart, reminding her that it doesn’t matter what anyone thinks of her or has to say about her actions when God tells her to do something. Who cares what other people think of me or you? Let them talk, let them make fun of, let them ridicule, let them say we aren’t hearing correctly, let them whatever. It does NOT phase me, and it should not phase you. God alone is who we need to obey.
Let me end with this. There are many people in the Bible, but there are only three that specifically is said that they walked with God. They were Enoch, Noah, and Levi. Just three, my friends. Three! I don’t know about you, but I want to be the fourth, and with all due respect, you should want this, too.
If we want the blessings promised in His Word, then we must determine in our heart to walk righteously and blameless. This means obedience, holiness, and humbleness before our God, a life of total surrender and abandonment to God.
If you are asking the following question, then hear His response. It is clear and precise.
“Lord, who may dwell in your sacred tent? Who may live on your holy mountain? The one whose walk is blameless, who does what is righteous.”
“Whoever does these things will never be shaken,” Psalm 15:1-2, 5
Rev. Dr. Teresa Allissa Citro
Founder and President Thread of Hope, Inc.