“For the LORD protects the bones of the righteous; not one of them is broken!” Psalm 34:20 NLT In a matter of seconds, I was sliding across the asphalt road.

As a child, Mom and Dad had taught me to be careful-especially after I had to get glasses. They could not afford to buy me more glasses if I broke the ones I had. So when I played sporting games during PE at school or with my neighborhood friends, I was careful to avoid any contact that endangered my glasses. A practice I continued long beyond middle school.

Then one day my girlfriend and I were riding our bicycles on a rough asphalt road behind the church where my father pastored. Things were going well until we crossed a railroad track that intersected the road at an angle. When my front tire hit the groove in the track, it caught and turned quickly to the left, throwing me and my girlfriend to the right. She landed on the soft grassy side of the road and was uninjured. I skidded on my arm for what seemed like an eternity across the rocky road.

After gathering my wits, I got up to check on her. She was fine, but my arm was injured. A trip to the emergency room revealed a bad fracture. I wore a sling for two weeks, missed two weeks of work, and had to wear an elbow brace for a while thereafter.

Since I was righteous-one of God’s children, how do I explain my broken bone in light of what the psalmist says. In the New Testament, John says these words were a prophecy that none of Jesus’ bones would be broken during His crucifixion. And they weren’t. But surely David meant more. He was a warrior and no doubt believed in God’s protection.

While the bones of my body can and might be broken, the structure of my soul can’t be. As a believer, I am sealed with the Spirit of God. Jesus said no one could snatch His children from His hands. My body may get injured-and even killed. Baring the return of Christ, it will certainly die. Yet my soul is safe in God’s hands. The bones of my body may break, but ne’er a bone of my soul will crack.

As God’s child, you are safe in His arms. Worry and anxiety have no place in your life.

Martin Wiles Hodges, South Carolina, USA