“They are not of the world any more than I am of the world. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.” (John 17:14–15, NIV 1984).
My Musings – We spend an awful lot of time and effort to make a place in this world. And to some extent, rightly so. For while this is not our permanent home, He has not yet “[taken us] out of the world.” Furthermore, we need the Lord’s protection more and more with each passing day, as the world becomes increasingly hostile to those not bound to this world.
I use the words “to some extent” because this world is not our Kingdom. We are merely sojourners here. On a mission to spread the good news. So, we must hold lightly onto the things of this world and be very careful about being kingdom builders here when we are destined for another place. What we build for is that Kingdom. For one day, He will call us home and “take [us] out of the world.”
My Advice – “The Lord watches over the alien …but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.” (Psalm 146:9, NIV 1984). This is how He protects His own “from the evil one” in a world that is hostile and not our home. So, this is not for everyone. “I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours.” (John 17:9, NIV 1984). We must choose to be of the world or “not of the world.”
The Brew Is A Musing 