Psalm 25 verse 2: "As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds his people both now and forevermore."

Travelling I've been conscious of God's gracious love towards me - but also for the need to be 'safe'.....

Security is a big issue today. If you phone your bank, there will be lots of security questions to answer before your enquiry can be answered. There is much talk of national security, security cameras, security codes, etc. People want and need security – it is a desire deep within us. The question is, where can this security be found?

God knows that the desire for security is there in believers also, and has been from ancient times. So he gives to Israel, and to us, a great assurance that they and we are totally secure. He says that he surrounds his people just as the mountains surrounded Jerusalem (v 2). This is the protection the Lord gives his people – the Creator God himself always keeps his people! He wants us to revel in this secure love, which is everlasting.

We want to believe this is true, but how do we feel when so often life seems hard and evil appears to prosper – in the world or even in the church? That sort of reality is faced in verse 3, where we are told that these things are certainly real but have their day – and so the righteous can maintain faith in the hope of God’s judgement.

So we are given statements to believe (vs 1–3), then told to petition the Lord for assurance to accept that he is in control and that the power of wickedness will not prevail over righteousness (vs 4,5). So this song prays for what it first teaches. Trust – and pray for those whose trust is heart-true. It all depends on the Lord and his faithfulness.

Paul Woodbridge