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Harm

             The Lord will keep you from all harm— he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore. (Psalm 121:7-8)

Harm: physical or mental damage : injury (HARM Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster)

The Lord will keep you from all harm. I’ve no doubt there are people who consider that statement proof that God is a liar or doesn’t exist. After all people, even Christians, are harmed every day. Probably every second. If God is going to keep us from all harm, doesn’t that mean no splinters, no bumps, scrapes, bruises, common colds, addictions, cancers, disappointed romances, unplanned pregnancies, lost jobs, less than perfect evaluations, etc.? Who gets to decide what constitutes harm?

If preventing the harm of bruised knees or embarrassment requires that a child be prevented from trying to learn to walk, then not doing a small harm does a greater harm. The same is true if of many other kinds of harm, including some that seem horrible. Preventing harm can cause greater harm. The only way to avoid all harm (according to the definition of some) would be for us to not exist at all, which would be the greatest harm that can be done to us. We instinctively understand that, most of the time. But then someone raises an objection, or we or someone else we love faces “harm” that we think crosses some line, it’s hard. We’re tempted to lodge a complaint to God, or even storm Heaven with a raised fist. And we should. God isn’t afraid of our tempers. I’m not suggesting we be rude to God, but that we be honest with Him.

It’s hard when we hurt to understand that we aren’t being harmed, or aren’t being harmed as much as we would be if the harm were withheld. Surgery causes harm, but may save us from cancer. Great good has come from what we would call harm. So, the promise is kept even when we are tempted to believe it is not. 

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