When my mother found herself taking custody of two children, DFACS, the Department of Family and Children’s Services showed up one evening as we served dinner, steak and gravy, mashed potatoes, peas. She examined the children talked to them. Looked at their rooms, asked us a few questions, and declared our home, ” A Safe House “. Of course, we had had background checks, and we informed the lady of our daycare experience.
This was new to us, but in a strange way, normal. Though these two needed major discipline and retraining to even function as children, we had always been the go to people when there was a problem. When a neighborhood girl, about twelve, got locked out of her house three doors down, she came to ours and asked if she could call her mother and stay with us until she got home. We didn’t know the little girl, she had only come door to door selling something but remembered our poodles and us. She had felt safe to come in and show us a catalog and take our order, but she remembered or rather was guided where to go. This resonated with me today as I read about a child who had mentioned he wished there were no bad people. No one really paid that comment any attention. The next day, he didn’t get off the bus and has been gone over two years. God help us as a society who deals with the daily fact, you might not even get home, but God would not want us live in that fear.
I have learned not to take anything or anyone for granted. Truly, you can not live in fear. But it is imperative to pay attention, discern and ask the Holy Spirit’s guidance. We must also be “a safe house “, remember Jesus declared that demons, when gone out will return to their old house, it it is not swept, and cleaned and redecorated with God’s Word. That’s why people fall back into sin. Not just criminals, even depression, grief, financial problems. All sicknesses, oppression and everything that is demonically influenced as an attack. The closer you draw to God, the more attacks, the more you must rely on Jesus.
So make your home safe, welcoming. Inviting and hospitable to anyone who may need you. Be careful and watchful, don’t let just anyone in. People who may be under the influence of drugs or into occult, may open doors for the enemy if allowed free run of a home. And of course, you must protect your family and children. God expects us to be alert and trust Him for things you may not be aware of. Plead the blood of Jesus.
But remember to make you body, your soul, ( mind, will, emotions ) a safe house too. A place or heart Jesus would love to move into. And a place the devil will steer clear of. Run him off, sweep him out, he is an intruder. Pretend Jesus is one of those fancy flashlights that shines strobe lights into his eyes. And blows like the blast of a shofar.
May your home and holidays be safe, and your New Year blessed and prosperous. Rebecca Jones
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