In Security

When I was little, my Father would hold me in his arms and rock me to sleep with Miles Davis playing softly in the background. My adolescent mind would dance to the slow jazz serenading me to La-La Land and I would feel safe and secure knowing that I could rest in the arms of my loving Father. As I grew older, our relationship did not have the same melody anymore. We majored in distance and minored in stability. Our lack of communication led me to feel rejected and our relationship didn’t feel the same way that young girl did, when she rested in her Father’s arms.

Psalms 91:1-2 (NLT) says, “Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. This I declare about the LORD: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; He is my God, and I trust Him.”

I think we can all attest to the fact that the psalmist, David, experienced a lot of insecurity before deriving to the conclusion that in order to find rest, he had to abide in a place of security. In verse 2, David says, “He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; He is my God, and I trust him.” This verse would cause one to believe that if the Psalmist said that God ALONE is his refuge, then David would have to believe that nothing else could protect or secure him.

By definition, Security is the state of being free, stable, and fear from anxiety. Growing up, security meant a lot of different things for me. I took refuge in relationships, jobs, money, my parents, and pretty much anything I could get my hands on because of its tangibility. I NEVER thought these “things,” though important, would fail me. I would invest my time, money, and emotional energy into making them last but I always came up short. I put my entire being in finding my contentment and my identity in the affirmation of these materials. Until one day, I became so dissatisfied with the way my life was headed.

So I surrendered…

No matter how hard I tried, I wasn’t good enough. I couldn’t make that man stay, I couldn’t make that money last, and I could not make my thoughts stop speaking to me. I had to choose to surrender my mind, will, and emotions to Jesus Christ.

Isaiah 43:1-2 says, “But now, O Jacob, listen to the Lord who created you. O Israel, the one who formed you says,“Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine.”

The Lord called me His own. Jesus actually wanted me! He never left me even when I stopped communicating with Him and even when I grew distant. He wanted to hold me when I wouldn’t let Him. Though this seems like a difficult task, it is a conscious decision to let go of me and cling on to Him. I am finally  getting to a place where I can allow my adolescent mind to run back to my Father’s soothing arms and rest my head in the music of His security.

So I ask you today, where does your security lie? Are you looking for your security in people, places, and things? If so, you may not feel it now, but you will be unsatisfied. People will fail you, the fame will get to you, the money will never be enough, but Jesus is ENOUGH. He desires and intimate relationship with you. He wants to be your safety but only if you let Him. He never failed you and He never will.

He loves YOU so much! Let Him in.