Holistic Growth and Security

Unless The Lord builds the house, they labour in vain who build it; unless The Lord guards the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.
Psalm 127 v 1
The first part of this Uni-verse regarding building the house implies building our lives while the second part regarding guarding the city has two different but complementary connotations:
the first part implies our growth, health, progress, sustenance, accomplishments and contribution. The second part implies our collective and individual security. Both growth and security hinges on The Lord. He is the capstone, the keystone, the cornerstone of the edifice of our lives that we build day by day over our lifetime. The house is referred to with the definitive article 'the ' and therefore it is not about building a particular house but all of our plans will be brought to fruition and visions are fulfilled only by the grace of the capstone. It is He who enables us to succeed. It is He who blesses our efforts or else it will be all in vain. Our lives itself will be in vain but for the love, mercy and grace of The Lord. He makes our lives meaningful, purposive and progressive. When He overshadows us like He did the craftsman of the temple at Jerusalem Bezaleel, He will give us helps ( plural is used to indicate the different types of help He sends our way). He will give us new ideas that are creative and innovative. He will help us overcome known as well as hidden threats.

I heard the story of an owner of a security company of how despite the best of locks and security, he could not prevent the murder of his wife. I told him that though I am a senior police officer with men and weapons and wherewithal to command I depended on The Lord for our security. I was given this thematic verse as a promise when I was posted as a Commissioner of a city. The city was facing inprecedented floods at the time I took charge but The Lord proved that He is The Lord even in the midst of the flood and safeguarded the citizens and those who watched over them.

Both our well being or our prosperity as well as our security rests with The Lord. The knowledge that He is the builder and the One who watches over us is a great source of strength and confidence for every believer. This belief should prompt us to cling to God like a leech. But He is disappointed that most people everywhere in these times cling to money and power. It gives people a false sense of security, happiness and immunity. Then when events and circumstances overtake us, we tend to turn to God and acknowledge that He alone is the source of our prosperity, well being, visions, plans, ideas, growth, health, security and life itself in all it's aspects. When we please The Lord by overcoming our amnesia and complacency, The Lord takes back the self assigned role of builder and watchman of our lives. He watches over us day and night. He provides for us while we are sleeping unaware of His invisible but caring presence always hovering over us and hemming in on is on all sides like a protective hedge or better still like firewalls.