As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds his people both now and forevermore.
Psalm 125:2
At the age of 6, I summoned sufficient courage to ride a bicycle beyond the protective fence surrounding my home. As I rode past the neighbor’s gate, two huge menacing dogs slipped through the gate and began to chase after me. I was terrified, and began to cry as they charged at me, barking ferociously. Quivering and afraid, I stopped peddling and closed my eyes, waiting for the inevitable. Right then I heard a shrill whistle, and someone sternly shouted, “Stop!” I opened my eyes slowly to find that something magical had just happened. The dogs had stopped barking and were laying down on the ground.
It was then that I noticed two security guards, my dad, elder brother, as well as two neighbors and a passerby positioned protectively between me and the dogs. It seemed that just when I was at the point of succumbing to fear, these caring adults manifested before me. They had been watching over me the whole time. I looked up at their determined faces and knew that I was safe.
Scripture is filled with assurances of God’s protection over his people. There are over 100 verses in the Bible that address God’s protective Presence over those who trust in him. God does not leave anything concerning his people to chance. He is always watching protectively and deliberately and will intervene at the right time according to his purposes. As the Psalmist reminds us: As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds his people both now and forevermore. (Psalm 125:2).
Yet, from time to time, fear assails humanity, both secular and believers alike. Fear bears down like a menacing dog that is out to get us. These are the times when we may not see God or feel him in the circumstances and events that shake our confidence. But our faith is about knowing God’s truth, it is not about feeling, and the unarguable truth is that God surrounds us. In these fear-filled times, the scriptures beckon us to “look up” from whence cometh our help (Psalm 121:1).
So, take heart in this season. Perhaps fear and this sense of dis-ease we feel is an indicator that our Lord is near, and our redemption is nigh. “Look up,” and know that in Him, you are safe.