Look around you. Security is important to everyone. All you have to do is walk into one of the larger bulk-supply warehouse stores and you will find security cameras to monitor and protect your home. Travel through an airport and you’ll be removing your shoes and emptying your pockets before you walk through a security screening. You may find a piece of paper in your checked luggage that alerts you to the fact that an employee opened your suitcase and checked the contents. Barriers are used for security. Drive by a prison or a government facility and it is likely you will see some type of barbed wire fencing surrounding the area – either to keep others from getting out or getting in. Borders in and out of countries are secured by guards. Often, fences are placed around yards to secure pets or pools. Webcams are placed in homes to keep an eye on areas. Bottom line – security is significant to mankind. Safety is valued.
Ps 91:9-10 For you have made the LORD, my refuge, [Even] the Most High, your dwelling place. 10 No evil will befall you, nor will any plague come near your tent.
Where do we find lasting security – only in God. How are we to pursue what is good and right and just – only in God. What is the result of following God – hope, trust, and surety. The dwelling place spoken of in the above verse is the abode of God in which His children can find rest. Psalm 71 and Psalm 90 speak of God as our fortress and our dwelling place.
Ps 71:3 Be Thou to me a rock of habitation, to which I may continually come; Thou hast given commandment to save me, For Thou art my rock and my fortress.
Ps 90:1 (A Prayer of Moses the man of God.) Lord, Thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations.
Scrolling down from the beginning of Psalm 91, you will read these descriptions of safety found in God – the shelter of the Most High; the shadow of the Almighty; my refuge and fortress; He who delivers you; He will cover you with His pinions; under His wings is refuge; His faithfulness is a shield (NAS translation).
Because God is our refuge, we are under His protection (v.1). We can claim His defense with confidence (v.2). We are rescued from the wicked (v.3). We have trust in God’s shelter (v.4). Fear and destruction will not overtake us even as we look upon the judgement of the wicked (v.5-8).
These are truths written for us in the word of God. God’s children can claim these truths as their own. This is significant! Consider the earthly forms of protection available. Nothing is perfect, failure is inevitable. We know this as fact – look at the thousands of recalls on child car restraints! How often do you see or hear the words, ‘new and improved’? This is because the product beforehand wasn’t perfect! Even the best military defense provided can be thwarted. Confidence in anything only lasts until its weakness becomes apparent. We can strive to be prepared against those things that might harm us – either physically or spiritually – but the only complete and perfect protection is from the only complete and perfect resource: God.
Do you expect God’s protection? How? In what areas? In what ways?
Someone who has fully placed their trust in God cannot be overtaken by evil. The Psalmist’s experience is God’s protection through all sorts of trouble. We can be assured of the same promises. What must we do to obtain this security? Dwell in Him, remain in Him, and be established in Him. Think upon what this looks like in your own life. We may consider such thoughts as who we live for, where our supply of strength comes from, who we trust, where we find delight, and what determines our choices. Read what Isaiah wrote:
Isa 26:3 "The steadfast of mind Thou wilt keep in perfect peace, because he trusts in Thee.
"There shall no evil befall thee; though trouble or affliction befall thee, yet there shall be no real evil in it, for it shall come from the love of God and shall be sanctified; it shall come, not for thy hurt, but for thy good; and though, for the present, it be not joyous but grievous, yet, in the end, it shall yield so well that thou thyself shalt own no evil befell thee. It is not an evil, an only evil, but there is a mixture of good in it and a product of good by it. Nay, not thy person only, but thy dwelling, shall be taken under the divine protection: There shall no plague come nigh that, nothing to do thee or thine any damage." Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible
Is your mind steadfast on God? Do you fully trust in Him? What is the object of your love? Who reigns in your heart?
As we depend upon God for all things and in all things, we find incredible blessings of comfort, protection and peace even in the midst of danger and trials.
Psalm 121:5-8 says, The LORD is your keeper; The LORD is your shade on your right hand. 6 The sun will not smite you by day, nor the moon by night. 7 The LORD will protect you from all evil; He will keep your soul. 8 The LORD will guard your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forever.
Following is quite a long excerpt by Spurgeon in the Treasury of David. I could not leave any part out, it is beautifully written, and illustrates the verses we are looking at vividly through the eyes of a soul who trusted in God’s grace.
“In the year 1854, when I had scarcely been in London twelve months, the neighborhood in which I labored was visited by Asiatic cholera, and my congregation suffered from its inroads. Family after family summoned me to the bedside of the smitten, and almost every day I was called to visit the grave. I gave myself up with youthful ardor to the visitation of the sick, and was sent for from all corners of the district by persons of all ranks and religions. I became weary in body and sick at heart. My friends seemed falling one by one, and I felt or fancied that I was sickening like those around me. A little more work and weeping would have laid me low among the rest; I felt that my burden was heavier than I could bear, and I was ready to sink under it. As God would have it, I was returning mournfully home from a funeral, when my curiosity led me to read a paper which was wafered up in a shoemaker's window in the Dover Road. It did not look like a trade announcement, nor was it, for it bore in a good bold handwriting these words: --
“Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation; there shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. The effect upon my heart was immediate. Faith appropriated the passage as her own. I felt secure, refreshed, girt with immortality. I went on with my visitation of the dying in a calm and peaceful spirit; I felt no fear of evil, and I suffered no harm. The providence which moved the tradesman to place those verses in his window I gratefully acknowledge, and in the remembrance of its marvellous power I adore the Lord my God.”
“The psalmist in these verses assures the man who dwells in God that he shall be secure. Though faith claims no merit of its own, yet the Lord rewards it wherever he sees it. He who makes God his refuge shall find him a refuge; he who dwells in God shall find his dwelling protected. We must make the Lord our habitation by choosing him for our trust and rest, and then we shall receive immunity from harm; no evil shall touch us personally, and no stroke of judgment shall assail our household. The dwelling here intended by the original was only a tent, yet the frail covering would prove to be a sufficient shelter from harm of all sorts. It matters little whether our abode be a gypsy's hut or a monarch's palace if the soul has made the Most High its habitation. Get into God and you dwell in all good, and ill is banished far away. It is not because we are perfect or highly esteemed among men that we can hope for shelter in the day of evil, but because our refuge is the Eternal God, and our faith has learned to hide beneath his sheltering wing.”
This question begs to be answered: Where do you run for shelter?
Consider. There are many avenues sought for protection and security by men. Perhaps it is a structure that can provide covering from danger. Many find security in their health or their money. It may be that a sense of security is obtained from physical weapons kept nearby. You may feel secure because of a job position or even a piece of paper that says you are entitled to receive something. But how much protection do these things truly provide?
Consider. Structures can be destroyed by fire and flood and can be easily broken into by those meaning to cause harm. Health is fleeting and even the strongest athlete can be afflicted by disease. Money is only as good as its appropriated value which changes daily and can be lost as an investment instantly. Weapons of warfare may hold danger at bay but even whole armies have historically been defeated by the opposition. A career may provide some security in the form of a paycheck but companies and positions change constantly. Whereas you may be important in your job today, tomorrow no one may care. Is anything written on a piece of paper absolute?
God’s shelter is secure. In all circumstances. When we dwell with God, we have shelter from danger, and we have shelter through danger. Even if allowed to be taken by danger, we enter into a better place. Absolutely nothing and no one can take our eternal security!
Lasting security is in God alone. This truth hopefully produces a response in the believer to pursue the goodness and righteousness found in God alone. What does this look like? How do we practically seek Him?
Grasp this wonderful truth – God seeks us first! Without His love, we are unable to follow Him. So first, we need to acknowledge that it’s all about what He has done and who He is. This kind of thinking is directly opposite to the world. Just listen to a conversation between two individuals. How often do they mention themselves, what they have done or are doing? Try to have a conversation without saying “I”. This is actually difficult and doesn’t come naturally. In general, we are full of ourselves. What we need to do is get full of God!
Ps 25:8-11 Good and upright is the LORD; Therefore He instructs sinners in the way. 9 He leads the humble in justice, and He teaches the humble His way. 10 All the paths of the LORD are lovingkindness and truth to those who keep His covenant and His testimonies. 11 For Thy name's sake, O LORD, pardon my iniquity, for it is great.
In order to truly pursue the goodness and righteousness of God, there are a few words we need to focus on: humility and obedience. As you read those two words, it’s easy to immediately see the problem. Humility tempers the importance of self, and obedience acknowledges One greater. Neither of these concepts is natural to our humanity.
Humility. In the above verse, this word means depressed figuratively in mind as in a gentle mind or in circumstances as in needy. Other expressions used for this word are lowly, meek and poor. (Strong’s Hebrew Dictionary <anav>)
To be depressed in mind (different than an emotional feeling of depression), is having a low position or low value of oneself. Think of familiar terms such as the Great Depression many of our grandparents lived through in the 1930’s.This time was marked by a worldwide economic downturn that began in the United States. To date, it is still marked as the longest and most widespread depression of the 20th century. (Ref. Wikipedia)
To be humble in mind means I need to see myself as having need. It is not dragging my face on the ground but it is realizing that I am capable of messing up. It does mean that I see in myself a sinful nature constantly fighting against goodness and righteousness. I am so far from having a humble heart on my own, that it is only possible for me to recognize my need because God has chosen to reveal Himself! Remember, it’s all about God and not about me.
Mic 6:8 He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?
The word ‘humbly’ above, is translated from tsana, meaning lowly. To be lowly is acknowledgement that you are inferior in rank or status. Certainly, this is our correct position in reference to an Almighty Perfect God!
Even Christ placed Himself in a position of lowliness towards His Father in heaven while on this earth. In the book of Matthew and John, Jesus says to follow His example of humility.
Mt 11:29 "Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you shall find rest for your souls.
Joh 13:14-15 "If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. 15 "For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you.
Consider the actual process of washing someone else’s feet! According to Smith’s Bible Dictionary, it was a rite of hospitality to offer the necessary materials for washing the feet when someone presented themselves at the door. Sandals were typically worn and the dust and heat of the climate was removed from the feet before entering. An even more complimentary act which showed humility and affection, was if the host performed this observance for his guest.
Today, this is an unnecessary practice. We walk on mostly paved roads or sidewalks, and have multiple pairs of shoes to wear. I remember years ago a women’s retreat I attended. One of the activities set up for us was the appropriate supplies needed to wash one another’s feet as an act of serving. Of course, this included an optional coat of paint on one’s toes if desired. What stays in my mind about this particular event were the comments from some of the women. Along with the laughing and sweet conversation, I realized some individuals really have a dislike for feet in general. So, this act was quite a stretch for them. Granted, adult feet, along with callouses and the like, are not nearly as cute as the little chubby feet of a baby or toddler! Washing someone’s feet can be very personal. It is an act of service. Unless, it is your profession to give pedicures for payment, you wouldn’t necessarily wash and handle the feet of someone you disliked or weren’t acquainted with. So imagine the humbled position of leaning down, washing the dirt and grime off a pair of feet after an individual has been walking for miles along a dusty path in a pair of worn sandals. This is the example of lowliness we have been given to follow – Jesus, our King, washed the feet of His disciples.
We may not necessarily have the need for actually washing someone’s feet, but consider this question: Are willing to do the jobs that are not much fun, or that require you to ‘get out of your shell’ and be uncomfortable, when serving others? True humility requires that we hold serving one another above our own comforts. Jesus chose to lay aside His deity and died on the cross for us in humility.
Php 2:5-8 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, [and] being made in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
You can’t help but notice the word ‘obedient’ in the above reference. Jesus was obedient to the perfect plan of His Father in dying for all mankind.
Obedience. This is a choice. However, obedience is often a difficult choice. Sin is still present and the fight to overcome its temptations are real and often strong. But because God is working in my life through His Spirit to guide and direct me, I can be victorious over sin. I desire to obey but I am reliant upon God for the strength and will to follow His commands. Paul describes this battle between flesh and spirit in the book of Romans, chapter 7. He begins a lengthy discourse of the battle that wages in him between desiring to do good yet having to fight the impulse to sin. Finally, he concludes Chapter 7 with verses 21-25.
Ro 7:21-25 I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wishes to do good. 22 For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, 23 but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind, and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members. 24 Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? 25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin.
The book of Isaiah includes a well-known verse in the Christian community. It speaks of the news of a Messiah given to the world, yet states the sin nature of man which blinds him from seeing the truth. Chapter 53 is a powerful, sad and true message of the sacrifice of Christ, which we are neither able to believe or receive on our own.
Isa 53:6 All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him.
Because of Christ’s humility and obedience to the Father, we have a hope for the future.
1Pe 2:24 says, and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.
In Christ, we can pursue the goodness and righteousness of God. In Christ, we can learn and understand humility. In Christ, we have the power to obey God’s commands and live worthy of Him.
What does humility and obedience look like in your life? How do these things practically unfold themselves into your day?
Humility allows us to see ourselves as we truly are. In need of a Savior. All things given to us are because of who Christ is and not because of what we’ve done. It is God’s plan which allows us to rejoice in our future and have strength for each day. Without the gift of His precious Son, we are nothing – in fact, we are condemned! If God has allowed you to see and understand His truths, in Him, you are able to accomplish all things according to His will. The only boast we have is Christ. We are important to God but only because of Jesus’ atoning death.
Daily, this knowledge will lead you to think more of serving others than of being served. Humility begs to ask the question, ‘How can I help?’ Humility holds a personal schedule loosely, always leaving room for adjustment as God places opportunity to serve at your feet.
Consider. What thoughts do you allow to take control of your mind? Do you concentrate on how others treat you, or how you might be able to encourage others? Are you truly willing to serve in any way that is needed, or are there tasks you shy away from because they are difficult or not your favorite? Do you sit back or look busy while others do the work? Do you put a limit on your time and effort in serving, willing only to give a certain amount? Are you afraid of discomfort?
Albeit, the questions above are hard to take to heart. Our inborn selfishness is always seeking gratification. Therein lies the fight Paul speaks of in Romans. Are you willing to fight pride – the direct opposite of humility?
There is a dwelling place in God where we find rest and protection. A heart of humility leads God’s children to seek His refuge because they know God is the source of perfect shelter from the world’s dangers. A heart of obedience produces a desire to stay in God’s protection through following His words. We have a promise that no evil will overtake our security in Christ. Have you learned to run beneath the shelter of God’s outstretched arms? Are you dwelling in His mighty presence? Are you able to find rest and security, in the midst of danger, in God alone?
Be established in Him by seeking to know Him. Dwell in Him. Remain in Him. Find perfect security in Him.
