Deuteronomy 33:29 “Happy art thou, O Israel: who is like unto thee, O people saved by the LORD, the shield of thy help, and who is the sword of thy excellency! And thine enemies shall be found liars unto thee; and thou shalt tread upon their high places.”
Psalm 5:12 “For thou, LORD, wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield.”
Psalm 115:9 “O Israel, trust thou in the LORD: he is their help and their shield.”
In 1980, Colonel (retired) Jerry Bullock, the Deputy Commander of the Air Force Office of the Security Police, wrote the following Security Forces Prayer:
“Lord, you have called us to be guardians of a nation founded on your principles.
Whatever our tasks as Security Force men and women, we do them to serve you and our nation.
We are proud to accept the responsibility of this high calling.
We dedicated ourselves to our vocation, and ask for guidance and courage in aiding our people to live with dignity, in safety and peace.
We know true security comes from your presence, so we pray with the psalmist:
You bless those who obey you, Lord; your love protects them like a shield.
Use us, O Lord, as shields for your people, reflecting your security and peace.”
What a wonderful Bible-based prayer written by the Air Force’s #2 cop! We are indeed founded on His principles. We are to perform our tasks to serve Him. We are to ask for His guidance and courage in living out our calling. True security comes from Him alone.
With those who protect us calling on the Lord in this way, I feel doubly secure. In much the same way as President Washington called out – “So help me God” – such a prayer yields to a humble reliance on the One who compasses us about with His shield.
PLEASE PRAY FOR WISDOM AND SAFETY FOR OUR PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICERS. As they accept the responsibility of their high calling, we must call out to the One whose presence provides true security.
