A Sense of Safety

God is our refuge and our strength, an ever-present help in distress (Ps. 46:1)

Our help is in the Lord,

Who made heaven and earth (Ps. 124).

As the mountains surround Jerusalem,

so the Lord surrounds his people

both now and forevermore (Ps. 125).

Unless the Lord watches over the city,

the watchmen stand guard in vain (Ps. 127).

As we approach the 10th anniversary of 9-11, more and more we realize the truth of Abraham Mazlow's "Heirarchy of Needs."  In 1943, Mazlow introduced his theory of human motivation based on a pyramid of needs that must be satisfied before moving on to the next level.  Of course, the most basic needs at the bottom of the pyramid were those of basic survival:  food , water, sleep, and warmth.   Once those needs have been met, people can move on to the next level, which are for safety and security.

As we so terrifyingly learned ten years ago on Sept. 11 and then six years ago in Hurricane Katrina, if we don't feel safe and protected, we cannot do anything else.  All life and growth come to a halt until we feel safe once again.

When God promised Abraham "a land I will show you," the promise was to establish him and his descendents in a place of safety, where they could flourish and grow, a place of refuge from their enemies.  Because of Israel's location as the crossroads of the civilized world, they were always surrounded by very strong and powerful enemies---Egypt on the south border, Assyria and Babylon on the north.  Even within their own territory, the Philistines on the coast were a constant threat to their safety.  However, once they were settled in the Promised Land, whenever they were attacked, God would raise up a strong leader to defend the land and to repel the enemy. 

David became great in Israel because he, with God's guidance and strength, defeated Goliath, the leader of the Philistine army encamped around Jerusalem, "the city of peace." Later, as king, David was able to establish the borders and the peace of Israel.  Under his leadership, culture and literature began to flourish because the people at last felt safe.  From his time in the desert, hiding from the threat of death at the hands of Saul, David learned "by heart" and by experience that God was his "help and his strength, an ever-present help in distress" (Ps. 46:1).  That is why the Psalms, most of which were written by David, resound with phrases like the ones above.

In America, we have accomplished so much and grown so much because for so many years, we have enjoyed a wonderful sense of safety.  We have natural geographical borders for the most part; we have had a strong military protection, and fairly good relationships with our neighbors---all of which have allowed us to pursue development instead of defense.  Now, however, our protections are eroding.  We are back to the base of Mazlow's heirarchy of needs; we are being forced to concentrate on the basic needs of survival and on protection and safety.

As David learned in the desert, as Israel was forced to learn by its very location, we are slowly coming to learn that "unless the Lord guards the city, in vain do the guards keep vigil."  The prophet Isaiah wrote centuries ago in the Lord's name:

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you,

and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;

when you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned or scorched,

the flames shall not set you ablaze (Is. 43:2).

As a nation, we may have forgotten wherein lies our true safety, as Moses warned the Israelites just before they entered the Promised Land:

When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you. Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God, failing to observe his commands...that I am giving you this day.  Otherwise, when you eat are are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, then your heart will become proud and you will forget the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, the land of slavery.... You may say to yourself, "My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me."....

If you ever forget the Lord your God and follow other gods and worship and bow down to them, I testify against you today that you will surely be destroyed.  Like the nations the Lord destroyed before you, so you will be destroyed for not obeying the Lord your God (Deut. 8: 11-19).

I pray that we as a nation can regain our sense of safety as one nation under God.