Do not trust the Kevlar

Some types of body armor and bulletproof vests are made of Kevlar.

I received a call that the layoff from Jefferson Industries had ended and that they wanted to know if I would come back. I started back to work on July 18 in the welding department. The hours and job are much different from what I was doing prior to the layoff. Working for production is grueling physical labor. I worked hard when I was cleaning, but this is just ridiculous.

On Friday of that first week, I was sent over to the stamping department to help by grinding some burrs off a particular part. After doing several of them, I became too comfortable using the grinder and accidentally bumped the side of my finger with it. The grinding wheel went right through my glove, but it was only a minor cut. The thing is, those gloves are made of Kevlar. I guess that means if you want to hurt someone wearing a bulletproof vest drop your gun and go plug in a grinder.

This got me thinking about walking with God. We have the tendency to trust our protection to things other than God. We think we are safe if we have money in the bank. We think we are safe if we have been at our jobs for several years.

I imagine we spend a great deal of money these days on “identity protection” and feel safe. We have alarms installed in our cars and homes and feel a sense of protection. The funny thing is that none of these things ensures our safety nearly as much as leaning on God for protection does. Unlike Kevlar, He alone can protect us from everything…bullets and grinders.

Dennis McFarland is the pastor of the Plumwood Church of Christ in Christian Union, 175 Arthur Bradley Road. He can be reached at (740) 857-1714 or by e-mail at: plumwoodpastor@yahoo.com