Security

If you looked at the title, I’m sure you know where my thoughts are headed in this blog. It isn’t difficult to realize that in the days we are facing, security is important.

Our family is facing interesting moments because of living overseas, and the travel my husband and I have done. I am thankful I believe in a God Who is in control of all things and knows all things!

Exodus 19:5 Now if you will pay careful attention to what I say and keep my covenant, then you will be my own treasure from among all the peoples, for all the earth is mine;

This verse is SECURITY! “YOU will be my own treasure…” IF you PAY CAREFUL attention to what I say and KEEP my covenant!

There is something we must DO in order to find security!

Romans 8:35-37 Who will separate us from the love of the Messiah? Trouble? Hardship? Persecution? Hunger? Poverty? Danger? War? As the Tanakh puts it, “For your sake we are being put to death all day long, we are considered sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are superconquerors, through the one who has loved us.

These verses should also help us have security. The troubles of this world are NEVER going to separate us from HIS LOVE! YOU are a CONQUEROR because HE LOVES YOU!

On March 1 I traveled to Ukraine for some meetings about the work we are beginning with youth who are in transition. Our flight landed and someone came on the plane and required that we all have our temperature taken in case we might be “infected.” The gentleman next to me and I struck up a conversation. My thought was, “It’s a little late now! If someone has a temperature, we have all been exposed and will all go into quarantine! They should have done this before we left the airport in Cyprus.” The gentleman next to me said, “A step before that, they should have checked everyone entering the airport in Cyprus and not allowed anyone in that had a temperature. That would have prevented even more possible scenarios.”

Did I feel secure after they shot a thermometer at my forehead? No, not really. I knew that if someone was a carrier on the flight I would have already been exposed to the virus. Did I feel secure walking around Ukraine, or even since I have returned to Cyprus? No, not really. At this point I have been in so many places that anything could have happened. Cyprus is now “shut down.” Only “essential stores” (supermarkets, pharmacies, gas stations…) are open. All malls, sports venues, coffee shops etc… are closed for four weeks. They are limiting who enters the country and require everyone (even citizens) to have a certificate stating they are not infected with the virus.

Living in Israel as long as we did, people always asked me if I felt secure. They wanted to know if it was safe to visit. Knowing that rockets could fly over, or a suicide bombing attempt could occur, was always something friends and family were concerned about for us. I learned to respond that I always felt safest when I knew that God wanted me somewhere. If He wanted me in Israel, than I was safe no matter what happened. If He wanted me in the US, than I was safer to be there.

I also know, because of my faith in HIM, that no matter what happens, life or death, I am SAFE and SECURE because HE is in control.

We live in days and times that safety and security seem to be non-existent. We never truly know what will happen next. It is definitely time that we find our security and safety in the One Who created us and watches over us. It is definitely time that we SEEK what HE wants from us and we ACT as HE wants us to act. It is TIME for us to LISTEN to His Spirit and follow HIS leading, no matter what it is that He asks us to do.

A friend of mine told me today that she and her husband made some choices this year others questioned, but they knew God had asked them to do these things. She felt like Noah because of it. I have felt the same way so many times. Noah was so mis-understood and laughed at. We don’t know anything about his wife, but I’m sure she was ridiculed as well. And yet, his family was the one that was kept safe when the flood came.

In these days and times, what are you WILLING to DO in order to FOLLOW God’s commands? What ridicule are you willing to face in order to OBEY what God requires of you?

According to ALL the verses in the Bible about finding security and being kept safe, we MUST TRUST Him and OBEY Him. Not always the easiest to do when everyone around you is in panic mode. Not always the easiest to do when the world is going a little bit crazy and you “go against the flow.”

The one thing I am certain of, IF we are listening to HIS SPIRIT, than we have no reason to fear and we can find SECURITY. IF we are doing our best to OBEY HIS commands, than HE is our security. It all requires FAITH, HOPE, and then we LOVE with HIS love and bring security to those around us.

I urge you today to find your security in HIM and bring that security to those around you.

 — Rose Horton

Photo by Rayner Simpson on Unsplash