It was years ago that I became interested in history, with a special attraction to ancient history. I subscribe to Biblical Archeology, merely to stay in contact with what archeologists are finding in their digs. One of the marvels of ancient history is the ancient city of Babylon. This was the nation that God used to punish His own people, and sent them into captivity with the Babylonians, under King Nebuchadnezzar. He is called, “My servant” by God. This man had built a city and an empire that researchers are still marveling at. The city was surrounded by two sets of walls, with a moat between the walls. The inner wall was thick enough that Chariot races were held on the top of the wall. The Euphrates River ran through the city, under the city walls. Bars descended under the walls where the river was so that no intruder could enter.
However, there were other intelligent leaders always ready to take the prize. Darius was King of Persia, and he wanted Babylon. In a secret scheme, he went upriver and built a diversionary channel for the river. At the appropriate time, he removed the earth dam so the Euphrates would run through his diversionary channel, While the inhabitants of Babylon partied, Darius and his troops floated into the city and captured it. All the security the Nebuchadnezzar had developed came to naught.
We spend big money on security systems today. We have security systems for our wireless systems. We do not want others to steal our information. We have security systems for our homes, our vehicles and anything we consider of value; we have security systems to protect them from thieves. Hundreds of millions of dollars are spent on security. I even have life and health insurance to secure my wellbeing. My home and autos are secured by insurance and anti-theft devices. Does all that make me sleep any better tonight?
Not really, alhough all of the above may be necessary, they do not secure “me” from the cancer of our culture that eats away at my innards when I try to go to sleep at night. Is my 401 secure? Will there be retirement money for me when I am ready for it? Can we make the mortgage payments? Why are my mate and I not seeing eye to eye? Why this tension? Are my children okay, and will they be safe and have a future? Why do we live in such a divided world? Why the fear…why the panic…why the anger? It seeps into our homes like fog, under the thresholds of our homes and keeps us all on edge. If I had a security system to protect you from all of that, would you buy it?
Well, I am not a salesman, but I do study the Bible, and it is interesting what David says in Psalm Three. Listen to his words: “Oh Lord, how my adversaries have increased! Many are rising up against me. Men are saying to me, ‘there is no deliverance for him in God”.
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Who is saying that? Yes, it could and does come from those in the world who criticize me faith, but many times that voice will come to me at night when I am trying to get some sleep. It tries to tell me that God may be interested in some things, but He does not know the tension I’m going through, nor does He care. I do not feel secure. I feel very vulnerable.
The Psalmist continues; “but Thou O Lord art a shield about me, my glory, and the One who lifts my head. I was crying to the Lord with my voice, He answered me from His Holy Mountain”.
The key word here is “but”. In the previous verses the writer has said, “they are saying of my soul, there is no deliverance for him in God”. Yes, I can hear those voices. But I go to the Bible, and it says, “BUT Thou O Lord are a shield, my glory, and you lift my head!”. God always has the last word over the voices of the world. We must not only read the words, but we must hear the God who inspired David to write them. Though I am hearing from all my inner voices that God does not care, and I have no help, I must hear the Eternal God saying to me, there is help for you, I am the one who can lift your head up from the despair you are feeling, I can give you hope in a hopeless world!
After David hears what God has to say, here is what he does; “I lay down and slept; I awoke, for He sustains me; therefore, I will not be afraid…”.
When David gained this confidence that he was secure, I doubt that anything had changed on the outside of his life. There were still those who mocked and said, “there is no hope for this man in God”. But though nothing has changed, everything had changed. Instead of the turmoil that comes from the outside, he developed an inner peace in spite of all the turmoil and you can understand why he was able to lay down and sleep in the midst of the storm.
Have I always had this sense of security that comes from God? The answer is “no”. I can take you to times when I could not sleep, got up, dressed, and went out and walked the runways of a local airport near our home. My life had turmoil. For me, gaining this confidence in God‘s security system has been a journey. So many voices literally scream at me from the outside. They are real; I can hear them and see the people doing the screaming, and I absorb the sense of panic that is in the very air we breathe. It has been a journey to hear and listen to God, mainly out of His promises, like the one in Psalm Three.
Allow me to illustrate this from the life of Jesus. Jesus and his disciples had been on the eastern shore of the sea of Galilee. Many had followed Him. He fed them and sent his Apostle back to the western shore of Galilee, while he went to a place alone and prayed. The Apostles were doing what Jesus had told them to do; row back to the western shore of the lake, However, in the process, a storm came, and they were rowing hard, and they became fearful of whether they would make it to the shore. Then, they saw a shadow walking on the water, and they cried out in fear. It was Jesus, walking on the water, coming to them. His first words were, “…it is I; do not be afraid…”. [John 6:43]
When I was a boy, I needed a father, one who I knew would keep me safe. We do not change that much. My father is now dead, but I still need a Father, and He becomes my security system in today’s troubled world.
The issues we face today are very real. This cannot be denied. I must have a personal security system that protects me from the arrow that flies by night and the pestilence that comes by day. [Psalm 91]
