Life-Giving Words of Hope & Encouragement

With Hurricane Helene approaching our area, it’s natural to feel worried about how things will turn out. I was up early praying this morning and was reading Psalm 27, where David reassures us that God will protect us and keep us safe from harm in times of trouble. This doesn’t mean we won’t encounter difficulties, but it does mean that God will shield us and make us invisible to our enemies. Then, on my drive to work, I saw a rainbow over our home, reaffirming what God had spoken to my heart earlier.

David faced opposition, and people constantly tried to stop him. In 1 Samuel 23, he was on the run from King Saul. Despite being one of Saul’s primary armor bearers and playing music for him when he wasn’t feeling well, Saul’s jealousy made him obsess over getting rid of David. This situation serves as a reminder that sometimes, when you’re doing the right thing and being good to people, the favor in your life may stir up jealousy in others.

David was in the desert, hiding in caves, doing his best to avoid getting caught. Saul had the most skilled soldiers, trained explicitly in tracking people, like a special forces team. David was a shepherd. As a teenager, he cared for sheep; he had no professional training. He was outnumbered, and the enemy had more equipment and skill. It seemed like he would easily be defeated. But verse 14 says, “Saul hunted David daily, but God did not let him be found.” God knows how to make you invisible to the enemy and hide you from trouble, accidents, and people trying to bring you down.

God knows how to protect you. Just as He can make blind eyes see, He can make seeing eyes blind. He can make you invisible to people and circumstances that want to harm you. David said in Psalm 31:8, “You have not handed me over to the enemy, but you have kept me in a safe place.” We all have things trying to stop our destiny, but God has put us in a safe place, like David. He’s going to keep you from being found. You may have difficulties in your health, finances, or marriage. You could live worried, in panic, asking yourself, “What will I do?” But when you know you’re in a safe place where God has you hidden, you can live in peace.

Saul was so frustrated when he couldn’t find David. Later, some of David’s very own men turned on him and sent Saul the details of where David was hiding. Saul was thrilled, but just as he was about to attack, a messenger arrived with urgent news saying: “Saul, hurry home; the Philistines are attacking our city.”

Saul and his men turned around and left, never capturing David. God knows how to keep you in a safe place. Even when it looks too late, He knows how to distract your enemies, change people’s plans, and turn trouble, sickness, and opposition around. When you know God has you in a safe place, invisible to the enemy, you can live in peace because God has you hidden where you cannot be found. When you make the Lord your God and stay under the shelter of the Most High, Scripture says He covers you with His wings and hides you from things that should have brought you down.

The enemy schemes and strategizes to prevent you from reaching your destiny. People were set in motion to cause trouble for you, but they couldn’t find you. They showed up, but you were invisible to the trouble, sickness, or layoff. God protected you, and you didn’t even know it. You might say, “It didn’t work for me. I must not be invisible. I got laid off, had an accident, or came down with an illness.” Yes, but that illness didn’t finish you off. That accident couldn’t take you out. That layoff didn’t stop your purpose. When trouble came, God kept you in a safe place. The difficulty you faced is not the end of your story. God has the final say. He’s not only going to take care of what’s trying to stop you, but He’s also going to bring you out better.

In the Old Testament, God sent plagues on Pharaoh and his people because they wouldn’t let the Israelites go. The final plague ensured the firstborn children of the Egyptians would be killed. God instructed the Israelites to put blood on the doorposts of their houses. When the angel of death came, as long as they had the blood on their doorposts, their families would be safe. That night, thousands of lives were lost, causing great grief and sorrow. What’s interesting is that none of the Israelite children lost their lives, even though they were living next door to their oppressors. They weren’t far away; they were all in the same area. What made the difference? One group had the blood on their doorposts, and the other didn’t. One group was protected by the Most High, covered by His wings, while the other wasn’t.

You have an advantage when you keep the blood over your house and honor God by staying close to Him. He hides you when trouble comes and makes you invisible to the enemy. When calamity shows up at your house, it passes you by. Things that take other people out can’t take you out. Trouble that defeats others won’t stop you. Sickness that should be the end can’t take your life – you’re in a safe place. You don’t have to live worried, fearing what might happen.

Now, we have to give God something to work with. We can’t go around with a defeated mindset. Quit living out of fear and start living out of faith. “Father, thank you that my health is invisible to the enemy, that I will run and not be weary, that you will satisfy me with long life. Lord, thank you that my children are invisible to the enemy, are mighty in the land, make great decisions, and will become everything you’ve created them to be.”

Faith and fear have something in common: they ask us to believe something we can’t see. Whichever one you get in agreement with is the one that’s going to come to pass. If you say, “I’m afraid I’m not going to get well,” you’re using your faith in the wrong direction. Turn it around and say, “Lord, thank you for restoring my health. This trouble may have come, but Lord, thank you for hiding me and putting me in a safe place.” We often fail to realize that we usually use our faith negatively, expecting defeat, sickness, and trouble.

Don’t go through life expecting the worst. You have the blood over your doorpost. You belong to the Most High God. These things may come, but they’re not going to stay. They’re going to pass on by. Why? You are invisible to the enemy. Trouble may have been sent, but it can’t find you. Sickness may have shown up, but it’s not permanent. God has you in a safe place. Nothing can snatch you out of His hands. Enemies may be looking for you. People at work are against you. Your dream seems impossible. Don’t worry. God has you hidden, and He’s not letting you be found.

That’s why we don’t have to live in fear. Yes, many negative things in the world could happen: natural disasters, accidents, sicknesses, trouble, and bad breaks. We could go around worried and stressed, but when you know that God has you hidden and that He’s put you in a safe place because the blood is over your doorpost and you belong to Him, He will make you invisible to the enemy. He has a hedge of protection that nothing can cross without His permission. A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it won’t come near you. Why? Because you’re in the shelter of the Most High.

In 2 Kings chapter 6, the Syrian army came against the Israelites. Every time the Syrians were about to make a move, God would tell the prophet Elisha, and he would inform the Israelites. This way, they always stayed one step ahead of the enemy. When the Syrian king discovered what Elisha was doing, he was furious. He sent a great army with thousands of horses and chariots to surround Elisha’s city and capture him. When Elisha saw them coming, he had no chance in the natural – it was him versus tens of thousands of soldiers.

He could have panicked and gotten depressed, but he understood this principle: that God can make you invisible to the enemy. Elisha prayed something interesting. He didn’t say, “Lord, deliver me. Lord, stop this army. Lord, protect me from these people.” Instead, he said, “Lord, please make them blind.” He asked, “Lord, make me invisible to the enemy.” What a powerful prayer. We should pray this daily: “Lord, make my family invisible to the enemy. Make my finances, health, and dreams invisible to the enemy.” The next verse says, “And the Lord did what Elisha asked.”

The Syrian captain knocked on the door and said, “We are here to see Elisha.” Elisha looked surprised and said, “Sir, you’ve come to the wrong house. Elisha doesn’t live here.” The Syrians did their research, tracked Elisha, made sure this was his address, confirmed he was home, and had people that could identify him – despite all that, the captain was confused; he said, “Where is he”? Elisha said, “He’s in another city; follow me, and I’ll take you there.” Elisha then led them to Samaria, the Israelite’s FOB. Then, he prayed that God would open their eyes, and the Syrians suddenly realized it was Elisha all along, and the Israelites captured them all.

How often has trouble knocked at your door, but when you answered, the enemy didn’t recognize you? The trouble had your name on it; the sickness was at your address, “Are you sure this is not you”? But God made you invisible to the enemy. He’s been protecting you your whole life. There are things He’s kept you from that you know nothing about, schemes and strategies meant to stop you, but they couldn’t find you.

Instead of living in worry and fear or expecting the worst, have a new perspective. You have an advantage because the blood is over your doorpost, and you belong to the Most High God. God has made you invisible to the enemy. Every morning, declare, “Father, thank you that my family is invisible to the enemy. Thank you for covering my children, my health, and my finances and hiding me safely.” If you do this, God will not let you be found when trouble comes, just like with David. I hope that speaks to you, and I pray for God’s hand of protection to be over each of you.