He defends me against all danger and guards and protects me from all evil.

– from Luther’s explanation to the Apostles’ Creed

When I was a young child of five, I lived in a big farmhouse in South Dakota.  The family bedrooms were on the second floor.  At the end of the hallway was a large window with no curtain.  At night, the large round ceiling light would reflect off that window and remind me of a beacon of light shining from a train.  Now I knew there wasn’t a train outside that window ready to come crashing through to run over me, but it still scared me.  So, I always climbed the stairs with one of my four siblings or my mom or daddy. 

One evening, my mother asked me to go upstairs to get something for her.  NO!  Not by myself! When she asked why, I told her about the train.  My wise mother then said, “Kathy, you know Jesus is always with you.  You don’t need anyone else to go upstairs with you.  Just hold out your hand, and He will walk beside you.”  This was my first lesson in God’s protection.  Though it wasn’t real, to a young child it seemed real.  But I held out my hand and fearlessly climbed those stairs knowing Jesus was my protector.  Now this might be silly to you, but as a young child, it really made an impression on me…so much so that I vividly remember it today.  Since that evening, there have been many times that I have taken the hand of Jesus for protection.  Martin Luther wrote in Article 1 that “He defends me against all danger and protects me from all evil.”  I have no doubts about His love for me and know He will protect me from all peril.

Prayer:

Dear Jesus, You are my Great Protector and Comforter. Thank You for loving me. Thank You for ALWAYS taking my hand in times of danger and providing me with peace. 

Daily Reading: 1 Corinthians 2

– Contributed by Kathy Kollmeyer