Safety officer
THE FOURTH SUNDAY IN EASTERTIDE
You, Lord God,
are my protector.
Rescue me and keep me safe
from all who chase me. ~ Psalm 7:1 (CEV)
Jesus prayed: Father, I don’t ask you to take my followers out of the world, but keep them safe from the evil one. ~ John 17:15 (CEV)
KEY IDEA:
Jesus' goal is that we would be kept safe from evil.
PRAYER:
Lord, thank you for looking out for me. We have different goals, though. I'm wishing that you would protect me from anything that would disrupt life as I want to live it. But you are focused on keeping me safe and helping me to get through the disruptions in one piece. I need a new perspective shaped by your agenda. Please intervene. I'm going to trust that part of being safe is knowing that you know what is best for me. Amen.
TRANSLATIONS
ABP = Authorized Boydston Paraphrase — my own freestyle biblical adaptation — somewhere between paraphrase, commentary, and sermon
CEB = Common English Bible (©2011, the Common English Bible)
CEV = Contemporary English Version (©1995, American Bible Society)
MSG = The Message (©1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson)
NIRV = New International Reader's Version (©1996, 1998, Biblica)
NIV = New International Version (©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011, Biblica)
NLT = New Living Translation (©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, Tyndale House Foundation)
