May 31, 2008

• The Mirage of Security

  “But what happens when the people of God do not escape from the beguiling enchantment of security?  What happens if they try to live their lives in the mirage of safety?  The answer is wasted lives.  Do you remember the time it happens?”
            “It had been less than three years since the people of Israel came out of Egypt by the power of God.  Now they were on the borders of the Promised Land.  The Lord said to Moses, ‘Send men to spy out the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the people of Israel’ (Numbers 13:2).  So Moses sent Caleb, Joshua, and ten other men.  After forty days they returned with a huge cluster of grapes hung on a pole between two men.  Caleb issued the hope-filled call to his people:  ‘Let us go up at once and occupy it, for we are well able to overcome it’ (Numbers 13:30).  But the others said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we are’ (v. 31).”
            “Caleb was unable to explode the myth of safety.  The people were gripped by the beguiling enchantment of security–the notion that there is a sheltered way of life apart from the path of God-exalting obedience.  They murmured against Moses and Aaron and decided to go back to Egypt–the great mirage of safety.”
            “Joshua tried to free them from their stupor.  ‘The land, which we passed through to spy it out is an exceedingly good land.  If the LORD delights in us, He will bring us into the land and give it to us, a land that flows with milk and honey.  Only do not rebel against the LORD.  And do not fear the people of the land, for they are bread for us.  Their protection is removed from them, and the LORD is with us; do not fear them.’ (Numbers 14:7-9)”
            “But not even Joshua could explode the myth of safety.  The people were drunk in a dreamworld of security.  And they tried to stone Caleb and Joshua.  The result was thousands of wasted lives and wasted years.  It was clearly wrong not to take the risk of battling the giants in the land of Canaan.  Oh, how much is wasted when we do not risk for the cause of God!”    –John Piper, Don’t Waste Your Life, p. 88, 89.

  In the American culture, there is a huge mirage of safety for Christian Living.  We are so comfortable in not taking risks that I think we sometimes miss the boat just like Israel did in Numbers.  We need to see that the Christian life should be full of risks; we ought to lay down everything, sacrifice everything for the cause of Christ.  May we have the courage to explode the myth of security.  Security doesn’t exist for Christians; life is always a risk if we obey Christ.  I hope this encourages me and all of us to be willing to take risks for Him.

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