You do not know what will happen tomorrow. James 4:14

Nancy Guthrie went missing earlier this year. No one knows exactly why at this time. Some people say she had connections to certain information and people who might want her dead. Isn’t it funny how life can change in a short period of time? How safe are you and I right now? Will it be the same tomorrow? None of us know what tomorrow will bring.

Some people will tell us we need to take control of our lives; we need to direct our own future. Is that even possible? I remember a couple who condemned others who had problems and troubles, whose lives seemed to spiral out of control at times. That same couple (who condemned others) lost control of their lives when she came down with a mental illness, and he died gasping for his breath.

Can we really control our own lives? James 4:13-14 tells us, “Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit’; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow.”

Many years ago, our family was traveling home from church on Route 75. We were on a straight stretch and approaching a curve. A pick-up came around the corner at high speed and lost control. One minute, we were going to have a head-on collision. Then it slid the other direction, went around us, and through a person’s yard. I believe God delivered us from what could have been a fatal crash.

How can we stay safe on the highways today? People who should be alert are texting, calling, putting on makeup, reading books, or adjusting the radio. We frequently hear of individuals who drove into fields, hit a light pole, or swerved into the path of oncoming traffic. Sometimes, there isn’t much we can do to protect ourselves.

And how do we protect ourselves from evil people, like those who took Nancy Guthrie? All around us, people are filled with hatred and malice. Some think they have the right to trespass on other people’s property and will even become violent. Several years ago, I confronted a trespasser who was going into an area where my daughter was playing. He felt he had the right to be on our property, and made it clear that he would have “blown me away” if he had been drunk.

If we had been living thousands of years ago, the headlines of the “Eden Times” would have read like this: “Cain kills his brother Abel in anger and jealousy.” And things certainly haven’t gotten better since then. People today are thirsty for power, authority, money and material possessions. It is true internationally, within our country, our state, and even in our county. Evil seems to be running wild.

What type of defense can we use against people who think they are dogs or cats, from men who think they are women, and women who think they are men? How do we defend ourselves from people who have billions of dollars but feel they should have more by taking what little the common people have?

1 – Be careful of the people you get involved with. Just because they go to church, that doesn’t make them a Christian.

2 – Be constantly on guard against the love of money, a large retirement, material things, honor, glory and attention.

3 – Always ask yourself the question: Can I glorify God the way He wants me to through this relationship or situation?

4 – On the highways, we could all slow down and drive defensively. There are people out there who are not paying attention. We must try to protect ourselves from them.

5 – Proverbs 3:6 says, “In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” That doesn’t mean He will protect you from all evil. But He will enable you to glorify him through it.

Contact the author at thoughtsonword@gmail.com if you have any comments or questions.

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Lyndon Stimeling, of Richfield, has been writing about faith and family for many years. He has self-published four books, Common Thoughts on The Word in 2016, Eye of a Needle in 2017, Common Thoughts on The Word II in 2019 and A Bridge Between in 2023. He has also had articles published in The Coming Home Journal and local newspapers and has written a children’s book.