Feeling safe? Are security systems and trillions of dollars enough?
By Dean Collins
I did a quick Google search and discovered there are nearly a million police officers in the USA. Add another 800,000-plus who work as security guards, 400,000 or so in the National Guard, 260,000 in Homeland Security, and 1.4 million in active military duty, and I think we can agree that our country has given a lot of attention to safety and security.
Another search showed that nearly five million people globally work in cybersecurity. I could keep parsing data, but the point is that we spend billions, maybe trillions, on trying to create safe and secure homes, cities, and countries. And this doesn't account for how much each of us individually does or spends to protect our families with security systems, cameras, and alarms. We have a need to feel and be safe and secure.
American psychologist Abraham Maslow did research for years developing his hierarchy of human needs, and safety and security was the second most important pillar of human needs that must be met for any of us to reach a full state of maturity.
But have you noticed that even as we spend untold amounts of money and build elaborate systems to create safe environments, we seem never truly to create a world that is safe enough?
One source of security
As we continue our journey through the psalms of ascent, Psalm 125 addresses this fundamental need to be safe and secure. The psalmist tells us, “Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides forever.” The psalmist is pointing us to the only sure and strong source of real safety and security, the Lord himself.
The apostle Peter quoted the prophet Isaiah and confirmed that Jesus is the fulfillment of the prophecy that says this: “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame” (1 Peter 2:6). Jesus is the anchor piece, the stone that everything of worth and value is built upon. He is the one who brings ultimate safety and security and not just for a moment but for eternity.
Sure source of joy
Jesus told his disciples and us to abide in him. He is not only our source of protection but also our ultimate source of life and joy (John 15:9-11). And in Psalm 34 David tells us, “The angel of the lord encamps around those who fear him, and delivers him.” Our awe, respect, and worship of God give us immeasurable strength and security and activate God’s Spirit to surround us with his goodness, love, grace, and strength.
Today is another day in our spiritual pilgrimage toward the full maturity in Christ God wants for every believer. As we mature, we discover that our source of strength and protection lives in us and allows us to endure and never be destroyed by the waves and winds of ruin that come from human schemes and systems that promised safety and security but can never deliver them.
Lord, today we place our trust in you and you alone. We stand on the foundation of Jesus, our rock and our Savior. As we stand on your promises, may we never become oblivious to the needs of others but rather, by the strength and courage you give us, help us step toward those in need of your love and grace. Help us know you fully as our source of safety and security. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Your time with God’s Word
Psalm 125:1-5; 1 Peter 2:6; Psalm 34:7; Ephesians 4:13-14; John 15:9-11 ESV
Photo by Andrzej Mucka at pexels.com
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