You have seen headlines like "Shooting at University leaves two dead, four wounded", you have heard horrific news on the radio or TV. You may have even read it on Facebook or Twitter. Regardless, you know that the world is NOT at peace. It seems that with each passing day someone tries to out do what happened the day before. Whether it's a terrorist attack in Paris or a shooting in our hometown we wonder if it really is safe to even step out our front door. Some how we/I think that I can protect my life from harm, like if I don't go here/there or I don't do this I will be safe. But Mark 8:35 cuts through these thoughts. 

"For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it."

If I decide to jump off a cliff because I think it would be cool to say I did, I can't really expect God to spare my life. This verse doesn't say do your ever whim and wish and expect God to protect you. No, it says something quite different. It says if I choose to jump off into the will of God not counting my life dear, choosing to follow Jesus regardless the cost, then that is truly when my life is the 'safest'. My life is safe because my life is in His hands. It's always in His hands, I just have to realize and acknowledge that I really don't have control. 

All these truths have taken on a deeper meaning for me the last few weeks. In a little over a month I will be leaving for Kenya to spend two months in a place that stole my heart. I will be flying through London and then on to Nairobi. It may seem that I'm headed straight into the 'red zone', but Jesus told us in Mark 13 that there would be 'red zones'. He says in Mark 13:7-8,10,13: 

"But when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be troubled; for such things must happen, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kindom. And there will be earthquakes in various places, and there will be famines and troubles. These are the beginnings of sorrows. But the gospel must first be preached to all the nations. And you will be hated by all for My name's sake. But he who endures to the end shall be saved."

Jesus clearly tells us that there are going to be wars and fightings, that nation will rise against nation, and that this is only going to be the begin of all troubles. In essences Jesus tells us this world is NOT a safe place. He plainly says in John 16 that in this world we will have trouble, sorrow, pain. But in that same verse He also tells us where peace is found -in Him. In Jesus is the only place to find peace from the things that are happening all around us. 

When Jesus came to earth, He knew full well all that He would go through. Jesus knew the suffering, the beatings, the denials, the cross, and the Father's face turned from Him, yet He came anyway. He chose to lose His life for our sake. He came and lived the perfect life that we cannot live, died the death that should have been ours, and arose so that we might have eternal life. If Jesus did that for me, for you, we should be willing to do nothing less. If we endure all that this world throws at us, not hanging on to our life but spending and being spent for the sake of the gospel, this is when we find our life. 

Every sorrow, I leave it in Your hands

Every sickness, I leave it in Your hands

All my failures, I leave them in Your hands

Amen, I can leave it in Your hands

Every promise, I leave it in Your hands

Every healing, I leave it in Your hands

And my future, I leave it in Your hands

Amen, I can leave it in Your hands

I can leave it in Your hands