Dangerous

READ: MATTHEW 16:24-26; 28:16-20; 2 CORINTHIANS 1:3-11; PHILIPPIANS 1:12-26

Somewhere along the way, I got the idea that Christians should always run toward danger and never be concerned with their own safety. But is that really what the Bible says?

I read Matthew 2 recently, and I was struck by how God called Joseph to respond to a very dangerous situation, not by facing it head-on, but by running away. God appeared to Joseph in a dream, warning him of Herod’s plot to kill the young Jesus and telling Joseph to escape to Egypt with the child and His mother Mary. So Joseph got up, and under cover of night the three of them snuck away (verses 13-15). Through Joseph’s obedience, Jesus was protected—and an Old Testament prophecy about the Messiah was fulfilled (Hosea 11:1).

After Jesus grew up and began His ministry, there were plenty of times when people wanted to kill Him. So what did Jesus do? Once, when an angry mob tried to throw Him off a cliff, Jesus “walked right through the crowd and went on his way” (Luke 4:28-30). Another time, when some Jewish leaders were plotting to take his life, Jesus delayed going to the festival where He knew they would be looking for him. And when He did go, He went in secret (John 7:1-10). Jesus knew that He was eventually going to die a sacrificial death at the hands of these same leaders, but He was waiting for the Father’s appointed time.

When Jesus did let Himself be put to death on the cross, He rose from the grave three days later, just as He said He would! After Jesus ascended into heaven, His followers often faced great danger. Many times, God provided ways of escape, yet many Christians also lost their lives for Jesus’s sake. But even in their suffering, they were comforted by Jesus’s constant presence with them and by the hope of eternal life (Romans 8:35-39).

What does all this mean for us? It means that God works in lots of ways—sometimes by calling us to run away from danger, and other times by inviting us to trust Him as we step toward a potentially dangerous situation. Whenever we face danger, we can look to Jesus for direction, relying on His love and trusting that no matter what happens, He will be with us. • Hannah Howe

• What questions do you have about facing danger? Who are trusted Christians you can ask?

• For examples of times when God provided escape for His people and times when He called them into dangerous situations, read Acts 9:20-25; 12:1-19; 21:10-27; 27:1–28:31; 2 Corinthians 11:32-33.

Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me. Psalm 23:4 (NIV)