Briefing: Working what seemed to be a routine call for someone smoking marijuana, I found myself alone. I was not actually alone. There were three big men who did not want to go to jail, me, and the all-powerful God of the universe. Guess who won?

Dispatch (Assignment): Read Psalm 121.

On the Street: There is a movie scene that has been used over and over again. It is the visual of someone who is at the end of a great battle. They have fought a good fight but the enemy is on the verge of overtaking them. Just when all hope seems lost, over the hill comes the cavalry. Reinforcements arrive just in time to save the day.

As great as these movie scenes are, they are not original. This grand rescue scene was first carried out in Psalm 121. “I lift up my eyes to the mountains; where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.” Even when the rescue occurs in real life, who do you think sent the cavalry and made the rescue possible? God orchestrates the great, real life rescues.

As a young officer in Dallas, my partner Tommy Granado and I had a crack house in our beat. We would make traffic stops on cars that left the house and if we found drugs, we would arrest their customers. One day we decided to start taking our lunch breaks in front of the crack house. For 45 minutes every evening, we would park our police car in front of the crack house. It obviously made an impact because one night we were ambushed just across the street at an apartment complex.

One evening, Tommy and I were taking our lunch break when a call came out. A gang fight was dispatched at the apartment complex across the street from where we were eating our sandwiches. We took the call and ran around the first building to an open playground area. There were about 30 kids in two groups standing across from each other. No one was fighting or yelling, they were just standing there like two dodgeball teams waiting for someone to blow the whistle.

The next thing I remember was someone yelling an obscenity about the police and being surrounded by the gang members. Tommy called out an officer assist request out before he was knocked to the ground. After taking several punches and realizing Tommy was on the ground getting kicked, I pulled my gun and started yelling. I had all the slack out of the trigger when I heard the sirens and saw kids starting to run. Just like in the movies, the cavalry had arrived.

Fortunately, we don’t have a lot of need to be rescued by large, friendly armies. We do, however, have a daily need to be rescued from the evil one and his attacks. When those needs arise God is there, always. “But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one.” 2 Thessalonians 3:3.

“He will not let your foot slip; He who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, He who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.” You do not have to worry about your guardian getting distracted or losing interest in protecting you. God can be trusted. He is never late or too busy. You may not feel His presence or know He is there but you can trust He is.

God not only comes to our rescue in times of great peril but will be around to protect us even in the most minor situations. In verses 5-6 God is seen protecting us during our labor, “The LORD watches over you; the LORD is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.” He is your back up when on duty and watches over and protects you when you sleep.

“The Lord will keep you from all harm; He will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.” When we start believing this promise we start to see Him working in our life. We can even look back at past experiences and realize He was there too, even though we may have thought we were alone.

Investigational Resources: Psalm 91:1-2, 2 Corinthians 10:13, Deuteronomy 31:6, Isaiah 41:10.

Officer Safety Principle: Don’t look for man to save you. Look for God’s hand at work. Reach out and hold the Father’s hand, keep Him with you. Acknowledge Him, pray to Him, seek Him and He will be found.

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