The gunfire was unmistakable; Pop! Pop! Pop! 

My husband and I were getting ready to call it a night and go to bed when the sound pierced the night. In brief intervals, more bullets were fired from a gun somewhere in the neighborhood leaving both my husband and I frightened and worried. Many thoughts raced through my mind; Are we safe? What will we do if there is a genuine safety issue? Will the metal door that was installed outside of our apartment door be enough to keep forceful intruders out? How are the kids of the neighborhood dealing with the scariness and nearness of these gunfire sounds? 

I held onto my husband’s hand, desperate for reassurance. When the sound of the gunfire refused to cease, we decided to pray. I wish I could report that my heart was instantly flooded with peace and serenity; but that would be somewhat of a lie. After my husband and I prayed, I certainly felt calmer but still nervous. It was as I got in bed and opened my Bible that God gave our anxious hearts a good Word that made them glad (Proverbs 12:25); I read aloud to my husband the first couple verses of Psalm 127 (NLT): 

1 

Unless the Lord builds a house,

    the work of the builders is wasted.

Unless the Lord protects a city,

    guarding it with sentries will do no good.

2 

It is useless for you to work so hard

    from early morning until late at night,

anxiously working for food to eat;

    for God gives rest to his loved ones.

We strive and toil for assurance, safety, and security… But all of it is in vain. It was in that instant— gunfire in my ear— that I realized the metal bar door on our apartment is but a weave of feathers, my husband is no more human than me, and my concern for the children in our neighborhood was just a pale shadow compared to what their Father feels for them. Compared to what my Father can do and has done to keep me safe, there is no comparison; there is nothing that can take His place. 

I am securely in God’s hands, and He alone can give me rest. Yes, rest— even as multiple rounds were being fired from a nearby home. There is no contraption or human being or adoration that can replace the serene and complete love of God. It is that love, that all knowing love, that shields us from “bullets” unseen all day, everyday. It is that love that paid the steep price to save me from the “bullet” of God’s righteous wrath. God is mightier than any bombardment we may be under; and more importantly, He is mightier than any defense or consolation we can think to put up for ourselves.

All hopes of security I have— be it for my home, my marriage, my life, or my body— are made null unless I fully rely on God. This may not always result in the outcome I hoped for, but I can rest— truly rest— assured that it was the best outcome in light of eternity and our eternal God... because He loves me. 

Regardless of what shield we put up, unless God has built our hearts as a fitting temple for Himself, we will die the kind of death that is beyond bullets. Unless God Himself is guarding our homes, guarding our marriages, guarding our hearts, we will be open to a looting that is beyond the imagination of the most evil intruders— despite our ironclad defenses. Unless God guides and blesses the fruits of our labor, we truly labor in vain. “It is useless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, anxiously working for food to eat [or for security to be had]*; for God gives rest to His loved ones.” So let’s grow in knowledge, understanding, and reliance of His love. His love is mightier than the sword, and His rest runs deeper than the ocean.  

* Addition added for elaboration and effect