Briefing: Dispatchers are a lifeline for a law enforcement officer. We depend on them to keep tabs on us, know our location and even recognize the change in the tone of our voice on the radio. We depend on them for the majority of our communications while on the job. Can you imagine calling out on the radio and needing help only to find your dispatcher is on a break and no one is working the radio?

Dispatch (Assignment): Read Psalm 28.

On the Street: Where would we be if God did not listen to our cries for help? What if you were drowning in a pool and started screaming for help? Hopefully, there would be a lifeguard to rescue you but what if the lifeguard had loud music playing in their ears and could not hear you? Fortunately, our God is not like that. He always hears our cry for help. AMEN!

David writes, “To you I call, O LORD my Rock; do not turn a deaf ear to me. For if you remain silent, I will be like those who have gone down to the pit.” Comparing it to a dispatcher gives us a small glimpse of what it would be like if we called out and no one was there to hear us. God is omnipresent and is never off duty or on breaks. He hears our heart cry out before our mind can fully compose the thought. We can take a sigh of relief knowing He always hears us. Verse 6, “Praise be to the LORD, for He has heard my cry for mercy.” Once David realizes, or remembers, that God hears him, he swells with renewed strength and confidence.

Verse 7 says God is our shield. The shield of David’s day and the shields we wear are different but they share many of the same qualities and meanings. In King David’s time, the shield represented the family you belonged to, and/or the commitment you made to follow a certain leader. It would also identify you to your allies and enemies. In some instances a person’s shield became part of their family crest.

My badge is my shield. When I wear my shield it is a statement to all who see me. It tells people what I stand for and what I represent. It symbolizes righteousness, integrity and service. I have asked several officers what the badge means to them and I was surprised to find that each officer has a set of corporate ideas and then they have their personal meanings. For me it represents years of training, experience, and much sacrifice. For another officer it was leadership and a beacon of assistance to those who need help. One officer said it was a symbol that the one who wears it will do what others will not do. What does the badge mean to you? How we characterize the badge is a definition of how we see our service as a law enforcement officer.

Verse 7-9, “The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and He helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise Him. The LORD is the strength of His people, a fortress of salvation for His anointed one. Save your people and bless your inheritance; be their shepherd and carry them forever.”

Investigational Resources: Psalm 7:10, 18:2, 33:20, 91:4, Proverbs 2:7, 30:5, and Ephesians 6:16.

Officer Safety Principle: Does your shield characterize the things of God? Would He be pleased with how you represent the badge?

from Psalms Through the Eyes of a Cop, Volume 1
©by Charles Gilliland. Used by permission.
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