From the series In But Not Of
As believers we know that If God is for us, who can be against us? We know that through Jesus we have life and life to the full. A life that nothing can stand against, not even death. And as Jesus shifts His prayers to the disciples, He asks God for protection from this world. He prays that the truth of the Word would protect the hearts and minds of the disciples as they are sent out into the world. But when we read this passage, we often see protection as a synonym of comfort. We expect that Jesus’ prayer for protection is really a prayer of comfort. And while Jesus prays for protection, it is so that we can stay in but not of the world as we are sent into it. It doesn’t mean that we will be safe, in fact, Jesus knows that the world will hate those that follow Him, but He prays that the Word would sustain the head, hearts, and hands of those who follow Him.
