The battle over the separation of church and state continues to rage in the United States, but David Curry, CEO of Open Doors USA, wants American Christians to know what persecution is like in other areas of the globe — and it’s a pretty shocking paradigm.

If there’s one thing that author and speaker Ben Courson wants struggling Christians to know it’s that they’re in good company.

The world seems to get more frightening every day. One hurricane devastates Texas and the next destroys countries in the Caribbean on its way to toward Florida. North Korea is looking like a real threat. Cancer takes one life after another, and evil men seem to prosper. As Christians, we put our faith in God, but can we really count on Him to protect us? These Bible verses about protection tell us we have a powerful defender, and that nothing can separate us from His love.

Recent images of Hurricane Harvey’s devastation and Houston’s flooding have brought the nation face-to-face with tragedy. Individuals stand outside homes that have been ripped apart, unable to come to grips with the damage. Families wade through waist-high water holding children, pets, and possessions out of the muck. Media images have only begun to scratch the surface of a tragedy that will continue to unfold in the weeks and months to come. Where is God when the unthinkable happens? Why does he sometimes seem to delay? Where can we turn when the flood waters keep rising and there’s no end in sight? Scripture offers these verses for comfort when tragedy strikes.