WHERE OUR SECURITY COMES FROM

“See, God has come to save me. I will trust in him and not be afraid. The Lord God is my strength and my song; he has given me victory.”With joy you will drink deeply from the fountain of salvation! In that wonderful day you will sing: “Thank the Lord Praise his name! Tell the nations what he has done. Let them know how mighty he is! Sing to the Lord, for he has done wonderful things. Make known his praise around the world. Let all the people of Jerusalem shout his praise with joy! For great is the Holy One of Israel who lives among you.” – Isaiah 12:2-6.

Have you ever looked up and noticed window washers at work on a skyscraper? Why do you suppose they can work so confidently suspended thousands of feet in the air? They are secure because they know that their safety harnesses are fastened to the building itself and their harnesses will hold even if the platform should fall.

Your life can be lived with confidence like that. When we give our lives to Jesus Christ, He becomes our safety and our security. Because of Him, we can risk living life to the fullest and be all that we were created to be. He keeps us secure, even though life is often insecure, even though we get disappointed, and even though the bottom falls out.

Everyone needs someone or something they can trust. It gives us security and peace of mind being able to depend on someone or having something that is always there for us. As a result, many depend on their careers, investments, spouse, family, or friends. These are entirely legitimate, but to place our dependence on them is like building a house without a foundation—what if one or more of these areas starts to crumble? When Jesus Christ comes into our lives, we have an entirely different foundation. Nothing can tear down Jesus, and in Him, we have someone who loves us with the greatest love there is, someone we can trust with all our hearts, and someone we can place our faith in completely.

Isaiah in chapter 12 reminds us that true security comes from God and nowhere else. The world around us can erupt in anger and fear, but we need not be afraid because we trust in the God who created the world. People around us might fail us, but the Lord is our stronghold and our sure defense. In this passage, the prophet Isaiah points us toward the future, showing us a picture of what it means to trust in God. As we walk through life, we are constantly able to point back to who God is, showing others all He has done so that they can join in with us.

Isaiah is telling Israelites and us that we are secure. It does not say we will be free from turmoil. Quite the opposite. Bad things still happen. Our security is not in a world in which bad things never happen. Our security is in a God that no matter what happens to us, He is the Rock on which we stand.

Discussion Questions:

1. How often do you feel genuinely secure? Free from fear or anxiety? Why do you think that is?
2. Do you believe God wants you to be secure? How do you feel about that?
3. What are the signs in your life that you are lacking security?