We know in the bible the story of satan suggesting to Jesus that He throw Himself down from the pinnacle of the temple, Matthew 4:5-6 “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: “’He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’” Matthew 4:7 (ESV) Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, 'You shall not put the Lord your God to the test. '”
Even though God has promised to protect us, He does not want us putting ourselves in harm’s way deliberately, to test His ability to do so. You probably should not go jogging at 3:00 am wearing short shorts and a skimpy top. Unless the Lord has told you to do so. I once read a tragic story of a woman who took her 2 kids with her to the store at 2:00 am to purchase ingredients for a cake, to bring to church the next day. Unfortunately, her and her 2 kids were abducted at the store. She had good intentions but did not take seriously the risk she was putting her and her 2 kids in.
I am not saying we should live in fear. I am saying we should use the common sense/wisdom God has given us to keep ourselves out of harm’s way. If we are doing it in God’s will, He will protect us. I still wear a face mask even when it is not mandatory. I use my common sense to determine if the situation I am putting myself in may cause me to be exposed to a virus for an extended period of time. I know that God can heal me of Covid because He has. I would prefer not to have to be healed from it.
Two nights ago, I said my usual prayer that I say every night before I go to bed. I asked God to put an angel of protection to keep my household safe during the night. Usually after I say that prayer, I will feel an instant peace that assures me that God has heard and is answering my prayer. This time, I felt different. I felt that my prayer was not as well received. I did not feel that it meant that God was not going to protect me. I just felt that something was wrong. As I lay in bed, the thought came to me to check the sliding glass door. When I went and checked, it was unlocked. Also, the piece of wood that we place in it to keep it from being slid open, was not in place. I locked the door and this time when I prayed, I felt the peace of God. There is a reason why we do not sleep with our doors open.
Again, there is no doubting God’s ability to protect us. He demonstrated it when He appeared with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace to protect them. He demonstrated it with Daniel in the lion’s den. He is the same God who protects us today and there is nothing too hard for Him to do and nothing too dire for Him to protect us from. It is better to pray for His protection than to wish and hope for it.