Not Safe, But Good

In C.S. Lewis's The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, there is a moment that cuts straight to the heart of what it means to trust God. The Pevensie children have just arrived in Narnia and are hearing about Aslan for the first time. Susan asks the Beavers a perfectly reasonable question: "Is he quite safe?"

Mr. Beaver's reply has echoed through generations of readers: "Safe? Who said anything about safe? 'Course he isn't safe. But he's good. He's the King, I tell you."

That single exchange captures something we struggle with every Sunday. We want a God who is predictable, manageable, safe. We want a faith that comes with guarantees. But the God of Scripture is not a tame lion. He asks Abraham to leave everything familiar. He leads Israel through a wilderness, not around it. He tells Peter to step out of the boat onto churning water.

Trust does not require safety. Trust requires goodness. And there is a world of difference between the two. A safe God would never ask anything difficult of us — but He would also never transform us. A good God will lead us into places that terrify us, but He will never lead us somewhere His grace cannot sustain us.

The question is never whether following the Almighty feels safe. The question is whether He is good. And the testimony of Scripture, from Genesis to Revelation, answers with a resounding yes.