We Are Secure | Qualities of Women Who Trust Jesus
“They will have no fear of bad news; their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord. Their hearts are secure, they will have no fear; in the end they will look in triumph on their foes.” — Psalm 112:7-8
Experts in western psychology agree that among the most basic needs for human survival is a sense of security (Lee, Wu, Chien-Yu, Chen, Lo, 2014).
At the earliest stages of development, each of us began observing the world around us and making determinations about potential harms. Subconsciously, we began to ask ourselves a question we would continue asking for the rest of our lives: Am I safe?
How we answer this question in various circumstances and relationships is an indicator of our personal sense of security. When we feel exposed, or vulnerable to danger, our sense of security suffers, and we scramble— searching for something to make us feel safe.
Often we look to things we can control in order to fabricate a sense of safety. We eat more junk food or obsess over our workouts. We feverishly labor to keep our house clean. We engross ourselves in work, strive for financial stability or exert dominance over others.
Not surprisingly, God’s word addressed this topic before modern psychologists did. Long before Maslow published his hierarchy of needs theory (McLeod, 2007), God knew that among the fundamental building blocks of humanity’s survival and wellbeing would be the need to feel secure. This is what the author of Psalm 112 is celebrating: when we know and fear the Lord, our hearts find the security we so desperately need.
Imagine being free of fear. Imagine not worrying about your future, your health or your kids. What would it feel like to never again be anxious about bad news? This is the kind of transformational work that the gospel is doing within us. As women who trust Jesus, we are “they.” We are the ones in this verse who fear no bad news… who trust in the Lord… whose hearts are secure. We are “they”— the righteous ones— because Jesus’s sacrifice has purchased that status for us.
“…their hearts are secure…” (Psalm 112:8)
The Hebrew word translated secure means “to prop up.” When we trust the Lord, our hearts are leaning hard on Him, and He is able to hold us up. Think of leaning all your weight into a wall. If the wall gives way, you’ll fall. Undoubtedly, God is the only wall that will never give way.
To be real with you, this is something I’m struggling with right now. There are days when the fear of other things overshadows my fear of the Lord. I scramble. My mind imagines all kinds of bad news is heading my way, my heart becomes dizzy with fear and my psyche clambers to create a sense of safety by controlling whatever I possibly can.
Sister, if you know what I’m talking about, let’s resolve to remember who God is. If we have to physically lean our weight into a wall and read these verses, let’s do it. Ten times a day if necessary. Listen, our God is trustworthy, faithful, strong and good! He’s the One who created us with the need to feel safe, and He’s the only One in whom that need can be met. With Jesus protecting us from harm, our hearts can be at peace, assured of who we are in Him. By His grace, we are secure.
REFERENCES:
Lee, K. C., Wu, F., Chien-Yu, C., Chen, S., & Lo, T. (2014, October). The way to security: Perspectives from Buddhism and Western psychology. Society for the Psychology of Religion and Spirituality Newsletter. http://www.apadivisions.org/division-36/publications/newsletters/religion/2014/10/security
McLeod, Saul. (2007) Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Simply Psychology. https://www.simplypsychology.org/maslow.html
For Your Journal
Find It:
In this portion of your journal, write out a Bible verse. You can find a verse that fits a current life situation or use the one we used in today’s devotion.
“They will have no fear of bad news; their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord. Their hearts are secure, they will have no fear; in the end they will look in triumph on their foes.” — Psalm 112:7-8
Fix It:
In this portion of your journal, pull out a few key words from the verse you chose above, or summarize the verse in your own words. Write it in pretty lettering or sketch something that will help you visualize the meaning of the verse and fix it in your mind. Repeat these words to yourself throughout the week to remind you of the truth contained in the scripture. Here are some options:
No fear of bad news
Trust —> Security
My heart is secure
Feel It:
In this portion of your journal, write out a prayer. The goal is to absorb the meaning of the Bible passage and let it take root in your heart. Ask the Lord to let his word change you by the power of his Spirit. Surrender any areas of your life that you are trying to control.
Dear Jesus, I’m so easily distracted by the complexities of life. Before I know it, my eyes have wandered from you and fear takes root in my heart. Help me to combat fear with trust. I trust that you will keep me and family from danger. I trust that you are good and that you have good things in store for me. I trust that you are strong enough to protect me from evil and that you are powerful to turn bad things around for good. By your Spirit, let these truths seep into the soil of my heart until I feel the reality of them. Give me assurance that in you, I am safe and secure. Amen!