“My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.” John 17:15
Why doesn’t God want us to be taken out of the world? Because we have a mission! We are to share the truth of God’s Word, and the love of Jesus with everyone, so that more people can enter the kingdom of God. We are His ambassadors (1 Peter 2:9) that is, His representatives to others so that they can see what God wants them to see, and know, for their lives. In other words, when people get to know us and our message, and the peace we have in our hearts from knowing our eternal future is secure, they are seeing God acting in us and through us.
That is an important responsibility. It may be one that we don’t often think about – being the kind of people that show God by how we live our lives. Whether we think about it or not, it is still true. The good news is that this amazing task comes with Divine help – the Holy Spirit. God’s Spirit prompts our spirit to do our daily routines in such a way, and with the kind words we use, plus such a mental attitude of confident expectation, that others can clearly see Him.
But while we are in the world, and showing others His truth and love, which shows that we are not of the world, we have an enemy who wants to derail our example. The ‘evil one’ himself hates God and God’s people. He hates us, and all the good we may do. That evil is more powerful than any of us, and all of us together. That is why this verse tell us that God has to give us His protection against the evil one. Because this is a constant battle that we are in, we also want to be in constant prayer so that we remain connected to the One who protects us. Praise God for all He does for each, and all, of us! And, praise God that He gives purpose to our lives!
