1 Peter 1:5–6: “Who by God’s power are protected through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. This brings you great joy, although you may have to suffer for a short time in various trials.” (NET)
When I travel on the highway, I often pay attention to how people drive. I have noticed that some commercial bus drivers can drive aggressively because their main concern seems to be completing as many journeys as possible and making more money. On the other hand, people driving expensive cars often appear much more careful because they know the value of what they are carrying.
This reminds me of something far more valuable: our lives. If people will carefully protect something they have paid a high price for, how much more does God care about people who are precious to Him?
Our salvation came at an immeasurable price: the precious life of Jesus Christ. God did not redeem us and then abandon us to face life alone. Peter tells us that we are “protected by God’s power through faith.” That does not mean we will never experience difficulties, disappointment, opposition, or painful seasons. It means that none of these things can place us outside God’s care.
When I was a growing Christian, I sometimes struggled to understand why believers suffered. Whenever I saw a Christian going through difficult circumstances, I wondered why God would allow His children to experience such pain. At times, I thought being a Christian meant being vulnerable and disadvantaged in a world filled with problems.
But as I grew in my relationship with God, my understanding changed.
I began to realise that God’s protection does not always mean preventing every storm; sometimes it means keeping us safe while we pass through the storm. We may face situations we never expected, but God can sustain us through them, give us wisdom when we do not know what to do, and bring us through circumstances that could have destroyed us.
Life itself is fragile. Everything around us can change unexpectedly. Yet, when we look back, we can often recognise moments when God was quietly working behind the scenes: like opening a door, closing another, giving us wisdom, sending the right person at the right time, or keeping us from dangers we never even knew existed.
There are many things we will never know about God’s protection. We may never discover how many accidents we narrowly avoided, how many dangers were prevented, or how many situations could have ended differently. Some of God’s greatest acts of protection may be the things that never happened.
Therefore, we should not measure God’s protection only by the absence of trouble. Instead, we can recognise His presence, strength, wisdom, and faithfulness in the middle of life’s challenges.
When trials come, do not let them convince you that God has forgotten you. Keep trusting Him. Keep praying. Keep moving forward. Your circumstances may change, but God’s care for you remains constant.
You are not walking through life alone. God’s power is at work around you, within you, and through you. Even when you cannot see what He is doing, you can trust that He is able to keep you and carry you forward.
So today, rather than focusing only on the battles you face, pause and remember the battles you have already survived. Think about the dangers you escaped, the doors that opened at the right time, the strength you received when you felt weak, and the unexpected help that came when you needed it most. You are still here by God’s grace. Keep trusting His power. He is faithful to protect and sustain you.
Amen.
SIX KEY TAKEAWAYS
GOD’S PROTECTION DOES NOT MEAN A TROUBLE-FREE LIFE.
It means He remains with us and sustains us through difficult seasons.
SOME OF GOD’S GREATEST PROTECTION IS UNSEEN.
We may never know the dangers, accidents, or difficulties He prevented.
TRIALS SHOULD NOT MAKE US DOUBT GOD’S CARE.
Even in difficult circumstances, God can give us strength, wisdom, and peace.
OUR LIVES ARE PRECIOUS TO GOD.
He values us deeply and continues to work in our lives every day.
LOOK BACK AND RECOGNISE GOD’S FAITHFULNESS.
Remembering what God has already brought you through can strengthen your faith today.
KEEP TRUSTING WHEN YOU CANNOT SEE WHAT GOD IS DOING.
His silence does not mean His absence; He can be working behind the scenes.
