Briefing: Have you ever had a close call at work? Maybe you can recall a situation where God saved or protected you?

Dispatch (Assignment): Read Psalm 124.

On the Street: Throughout the Bible, God has made it clear about how important it is to remember the past. The first time we see this on a grand scale is when the Israelites are brought out of Egypt. God told the Israelites to begin celebrating Passover and to pass the knowledge of that event down to all generations.

We seem to be living in a time where people want to remove the memories of certain historical events. We are seeing statues taken down and the names of schools and streets changed. George Santayana was a philosopher, poet, and novelist. He is the person who is credited with the saying, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”

This Psalm tells us of God’s protection of Israel. As I read it, I immediately began to remember times when God rescued me from close calls and near misses. There have been times when I have had brushes with death and I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I was saved by God and God alone. The facts and circumstances leave no doubt that only God was able to save me in those circumstances.

I believe everyone has a story about a time when they were miraculously saved. God shows each of us that He loves and protects us. We know in those moments it was Him who protected us; I believe it is what we do and how we react to those moments that shape our salvation. Paul writes in Romans 1:20-21, “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. For although they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.”

There are several points in this Psalm to keep in the forefront of our minds. The first is to know, like in verse two, proud and arrogant men will attack us but God is our help. It was God who saved the people of Israel from extinction and He has done the same for us.

Secondly, we remember it was God who saved us in these times of attack. In these moments, we have an opportunity to grow closer to our Heavenly Father who looks out for us. We must acknowledge Him as the savior of the specific event and ask Him to be the Savior of our life.

Lastly, we must honor and glorify the one who saved us. We will have times when we are in desperate need of a savior. We must look back and remember all of the times He has come through in the past and trust He will protect us in the moment and the future. Psalm 121:1-2 says, “I lift my eyes to the hills; where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.” This Psalm ends very similarly with verse 8, “Our help is in the name of the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.”

Investigational Resources: Psalm 49, Psalm 69:15, Romans 1:20-32.

Officer Safety Principle: Only God, through His Son Jesus can save us. Without the salvation found in Him, all is lost.

from Psalms Through the Eyes of a Cop, Volume 2
©by Charles Gilliland. Used by permission.
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