November 21: Insight Post by Karenna Rowenhorst

  -   November 21, 2025

Weekly Reading: Luke 10:1-24

Friday Reflection

God’s Protection and Guidance: Trusting in God’s protection brings peace in challenging times.

Friday Verse

Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you. Deuteronomy 31:8 (NLT)

Friday Questions

Where do I need to trust in God’s protection and guidance? In what areas of my life can I seek His peace, knowing that He is always with me and will never abandon me?

Friday Insight Post
by Karenna Rowenhorst 

Imagine being sent out by Jesus himself, as these 72 disciples were in Luke 10. Here is the advice they receive from Jesus:

  1. Go in pairs – when you’re on a mission, the support and community you have with brothers or sisters is important (v.1).
  2. I need you to do this work, because many people need to hear the good news but not many are going (v.2).
  3. You are going to places and people who may not welcome you, and it will be challenging (v.3).
  4. Don’t take extra supplies (maybe to keep them from delaying while they gathered supplies?) and stay focused on your goal (v. 4).
  5. Arrive in peace, assume they will welcome you and give a blessing to them (v.5).
  6. Make a “home base” while you are traveling, so you can develop deeper connections (v. 6 -8).
  7. Heal the sick in Jesus’ name and tell them about God’s Kingdom (v. 9).
  8. If you are not welcomed, be honest and clear to the people about the consequences of rejecting God (v. 10 – 16).

What is interesting about this list is that none of Jesus’ statements are defensive. He mentions nothing about staying away from certain people or preparing to evade danger. Everything is offensive (like a sports team, not like disrespect!) and heading towards a goal. We are called to go, do, and be. Not to retreat; refrain and avoid.

Instead of creating a protective bubble, let’s find our center. A center allows movement and being close. Let’s remember that Jesus calls us to interact with the world because the only way to bring Jesus to the world is through face-to-face human connections. And that requires not building walls but tearing them down. The Good News is just that – it’s news, and news requires being told. And to “tell” you need to have someone who’s listening. To have someone who’s listening, you need to make connections and friendships with people around you.

I want to think of protection as an internal center, a flame that I carry in my heart. The shield of faith and the sword of truth can protect me, but it’s an interactive protection. It’s not a protection of withdrawal or isolation.

Saint Patrick, a 5th-century missionary to Ireland, is attributed to writing a prayer of protection, and I love the image it contains, of being filled and surrounded by Christ’s presence everywhere you go:

Christ with me,

Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ in me,

Christ beneath me, Christ above me,

Christ on my right, Christ on my left, Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down, Christ when I arise,

Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,

Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,

Christ in every eye that sees me,

Christ in every ear that hears me.

I’m praying today that we take the protection Christ gives us to take risks, move close, and project God’s love into the world.

Karenna Rowenhorst, MA
Senior Director of Education

New Hope Church
Lorton, Virginia
www.newhope.org