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We are in the middle of three-part series detailing, “Things we believe that are not really in the Bible.”

Week One: Does God Really Want Us to be Happy – Above All Else?

Week Two: Should You Look Within Your Heart to Find the Answers?

Week Three: Is the Safest Place to be REALLY in the Will of God?

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Years ago our family attended a wonderful pastor’s family week at Ridgecrest Baptist Conference Center in Black Mountain, NC.

The entire event was amazing – from the weather to the family activities, to the food, to the sessions.

We hear it said often, "The safest place to be is in the will of God." It sounds very comforting and true, but is it biblical? Is it true? That's the trust we are considering today on the blog. Why not stop by for a visit?

Among our sessions was our daily time in worship with Dr. Danny Akin (current president of Southeastern Theological Seminary.)

During our very first session, he asked: “Is the Safest Place to Be in the Will of God?”

Being good pastors and wives, we all said, “Of course.”

And, then he said something I’ll never forget.

Years later, these words reverberate through my mind.

“The middle of the will of God may not be safe at all!

It actually may be one of the most dangerous places to be.”

(Dr. Danny Akin)

He went on to give us example after example of missionaries who had given their lives to Christ and died for their faith.

We looked at many modern-day martyrs, who died taking a stand for their faith. We considered Hebrews 11, where the Bible details a whole list of people who suffered for the sake of the gospel.

His concluding message…

“The will of God is NOT the safest place to be, but it is the only place and the best place for a surrendered believer to live.”

That message was shared over 15 years ago, and it still sticks with me.

Living surrendered to the will of God is not necessarily a safe thing! Click To Tweet

It could be dangerous.

It could be costly.

It could be hard.

It could be lonely.

It could be difficult.

In fact, the days ahead could be some of the most challenging any of us have ever faced.

2 Timothy 3:12 states it this way, “Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.

1 Peter 5:10 tells us, “And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.

So, if this Christian life is not safe, can lead to persecution and suffering, and will be potentially dangerous, why do it?

Why should we surrender our hearts and our lives to the Lord Jesus?

Why should we entrust ourselves into His care?

1}  He is God Almighty.

Revelation 11:17, “We give thanks to you, Lord God, the Almighty, THE ONE WHO IS AND WHO ALWAYS WAS.”

Psalm 115:3, “But our God is in heaven; HE DOES WHATEVER HE PLEASES.”

We surrender to Him and place our lives into His care because He is the one true God! He is the almighty Creator of this universe!

John Piper has said:

 “We long to be awe-struck. We long for some friendly terror and some joyful dread. And the only way we will ever experience it is to know the Lord as GOD ALMIGHTY, the omnipotent.

2} God’s on His throne and completely in control of everything.

Psalm 47:8, “God reigns over the nations, GOD SITS ON HIS HOLY THRONE.”

Isaiah 40:15, No, for all THE NATIONS ARE BUT A DROP IN THE BUCKETThey are nothing more than dust on the scales. He (God) picks up the whole earth  as though it were a grain of sand.”

God is still on His throne. He is still completely and totally in control of our world. There is nothing that He misses. There is nothing that surprises Him or catches Him off guard. He is God!

Lysa TerKeurst has said,

“I can rest in the fact that God is in control. Which means I can face things that are out of my control and not ACT out of control.”

We hear it said often, "The safest place to be is in the will of God." It sounds very comforting and true, but is it biblical? Is it true? That's the trust we are considering today on the blog. Why not stop by for a visit?

3} God knows what’s coming next.

Isaiah 46:10, “Think about this. Wrap your minds around it. This is serious business, rebels. Take it to heart. Remember your history, your long and rich history. I am God, the only God you’ve had or ever will have— incomparable, irreplaceable— From the very beginning telling you what the ending will be, ALL ALONG LETTING YOU IN ON WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN, Assuring you, ‘I’m in this for the long haul, I’ll do exactly what I set out to do,’”  (MSG)

Isaiah 46:10, “Only I can TELL YOU THE FUTURE before it even happens. Everything I plan will come to pass, for I do whatever I wish.” (NLT)

Psalm 139:16, YOU SAW ME BEFORE I WAS BORNEvery day of my life was recorded in your bookEvery moment was laid out before a single day had passed.” 

This is an awesome thing! Our God knows what is coming in an hour, in a day, in a month, and in a year.

He knows who the next president will be.

He knows which teams will win and which will lose.

He knows what the temperatures will be like over the next month.

He knows what our children need next, what our spouse needs next, and what we need next.

I love this quote from Corrie ten Boom

Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God. (Corrie ten Boom) Click To Tweet

4} God is FOR us!

Psalm 118:6, THE LORD IS FOR ME, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?”

Romans 8:31, “What then shall we say to these things? IF GOD IS FOR US, who can be against us?”

Oh, I just love this fact – God is FOR me! God is FOR you! This is an amazing thought. If God is for us, who can stand against us?

5} God loves us!

Zephaniah 3:17, For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. WITH HIS LOVE, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.”

Romans 8:38-39, And I am convinced that NOTHING CAN EVER SEPARATE US FROM GOD’S LOVE. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.  No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

God loves us – period! He just does, and nothing can separate us from His love.

Franklin Graham said, “No matter what storm you face, you need to know that God loves you. He has not abandoned you.”

What a great word from Rick Warren:

God's love is like an ocean. You can see its beginning, but not its end. (Rick Warren) Click To Tweet

6} He guards all that is mine.

Psalm 16:5, “LORD, you alone are my inheritance, my cup of blessing. YOU GUARD ALL THAT IS MINE.” (NLT)

Psalm 16:5, “The LORD is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup: THOU MAINTAINEST MY LOT.” (KJV)

God will guard all that is ours. He alone is our inheritance and our cup of blessing.

On of my favorite authors, Elizabeth Elliot, loves Psalm 16:5. She explains that it is God’s job to maintain my lot. That “lot” is everything that is involved in my life: my family, my ministry, my friendship, my dollars, my plans, my hopes and dreams, and the things I own.

God will take care of us and all of our stuff.

Elizabeth Elliot once said, Fear arises when we imagine that everything depends on us. Click To Tweet

It doesn’t. Everything – including us – can confidently depend on God to take care of things.

We hear it said often, "The safest place to be is in the will of God." It sounds very comforting and true, but is it biblical? Is it true? That's the trust we are considering today on the blog. Why not stop by for a visit?

7} God supplies all of our true needs.

Philippians 4:19, “And this same God who takes care of me WILL SUPPLY ALL YOUR NEEDS from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.”

Matthew 6:26, “Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for YOUR HEAVENLY FATHER FEEDS THEM. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are?”

God will take care of our needs. He promises to meet every true need that we have.

Elizabeth Elliot shares it this way:

God has promised to supply all of our needs. What we don't have now, we don't NEED now. (E. Elliot) Click To Tweet

8} God Specially Designed Us As One-of-a-Kind Originals.

Psalm 139: 13-14, “You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. THANK YOU FOR MAKING ME SO WONDERFULLY COMPLEX! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.”

Ephesians 2:10, “FOR WE ARE GOD’S MASTERPIECE. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

God created each person on planet earth as a designer’s original, a masterpiece. We are very precious to our God.

Max Lucado puts it this way:

“You weren’t an accident. You weren’t mass produced. You aren’t an assembly line product. You were deliberately planned, specifically gifted, and lovingly positioned on the earth by the Master Craftsman.”

It’s a great list, isn’t it?

There really is no other choice for a believer but to surrender our lives to God, to serve Him, and to trust Him completely!

He is Almighty God who rules this earth with complete power and control. God knows what is coming next. He is for us, He loves us, and He guards all that is mine. The Lord will supply all that we truly need. And, He designed us as one-of-a-kind originals.

Next time you hear that quaint saying, “The safest place to be is in the will of God,” just remember it may not be a safe place at all!

However, the best and the only place to live is surrendered to the Lord’s plans for your life.

I close with the very wise words of Elizabeth  Elliot:

“My faith is not to rest in the outcome I think God should work out for me.

MY FAITH RESTS IN WHO GOD IS… the quietness of my heart is the fruit of an absolute confidence in God.”

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So, what do you think?

Is the safest place to be inside the will of God?

I always enjoy hearing from you!

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Were you encouraged today?

Would you share this article with a friend, co-worker, or family member?

Maybe you can send it to a friend or family member?

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© Melanie Redd and Ministry of Hope, 2016. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner are strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Melanie Redd and Ministry of Hope with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.



helloredds@gmail.com

Best-Selling Author | Speaker | Blogger| Podcaster | When the world is falling apart, we can ALWAYS trust in God’s goodness!

8 Comments

Lori Schumaker of Seaching for Moments · 09/29/2016 at 2:36 PM

So much truth here, Melanie! No, it’s not the safest place. It’s where we can get our hearts broken and incur great hurts, but it’s where He wants us and when we get to the other side of the hurt, we are refined. We are stronger. Thanks so much, my friend, for sharing Hope alongside me at #MomentsofHope!
Blessings and smiles,
Lori

    helloredds@gmail.com · 09/29/2016 at 2:40 PM

    Thank you, Lori!
    You bless me with your very kind and encouraging words today!
    And, I’m enjoying your link up group very much!
    Blessings,
    Melanie

dawnklinge · 09/27/2016 at 8:39 AM

My pastor has been saying this same thing lately. Following God is not safe, but we can trust Him! I loved reading your words. They felt like a confirmation of what I’ve been learning about.

    helloredds@gmail.com · 09/27/2016 at 2:51 PM

    Sounds like you have a wise pastor, Dawn!
    I’m blessed by your very kind words today!
    So grateful for your friendship too~
    Blessings,
    Melanie

Lauren Gaskill · 09/27/2016 at 7:25 AM

I’ve never heard that quote from Corrie ten Boom before, and I just love it!! This is such a great post, dear friend. As I read it, it’s like I could feel God’s loving arms wrapping around me saying, “You can trust me. Forever and always.” A great way to start my day! Thanks love!

    helloredds@gmail.com · 09/27/2016 at 2:53 PM

    Thank you, Lauren! I’m so glad you were encouraged! I know that I was the more that I studied!
    Praying that God will bless you, fill your heart with hope, and give you great joy.
    I’m blessed by you~
    Melanie

birdsandberry · 09/26/2016 at 9:25 AM

What a great perspective! I love Elisabeth Elliot! Her life is an example of how following God is not always safe and easy, but that God has a plan that is so much bigger than us. Safety shouldn’t be our end goal anyway. Thanks for the encouragement and truth.

    helloredds@gmail.com · 09/27/2016 at 2:51 PM

    Elizabeth Elliot was a great lady, wasn’t she!
    Thank you for stopping by to leave a kind word today!
    You’ve blessed me with your encouraging words~
    Melanie

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