Many years ago, my wife and I traveled to New York City with friends of ours from South Carolina. They had never seen a Broadway show before so we landed some seats to see Les Miserables. It was a perfect night filled with excitement, fun, and a sense that the Big Apple was a magical place.
That is until we started walking back to the ferry station so we could get to our car in New Jersey. I had been to the city several times, so as we proceeded to walk down some streets that perhaps were not the best choices in some minds, I had little fear. But for our friends, suddenly prayer seemed essential to our survival. The pace of the walk increased, as did the pace of their beating hearts. Of course, we did get to the ferry without an altercation and all was well. We laughed as we created an extra memory from our adventure.
As Christians, we will walk through hostile territory and darkened streets throughout our lives. The dangers that surround us will be real and will provide us with causes for caution and concern. The defense we try to mount for ourselves will never be enough for our victory. It is the Father that will give us the wisdom to refute and resist our enemies. It is the Father that will prepare a defense for us, one that no power will prevail against. But we must persevere, trust in God, and surrender all to him. Then we will never need to surrender to anyone or anything ever again, and one day, we will find the streets that were dark and scary will be turned to gold and filled with the Light.
Tracy Earl Welliver, MTS
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