God’s incredible interactions with Abram have long been precious Scripture passages for me. I’ve studied them so many times that I honestly thought I’d mined out most of the gold there. Silly me.

Having begun a new series on the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at church, I’ve found my soul camped out with Abram once again. As I sat studying passages deeply familiar to my soul, I found myself crying at the freshness of the words to me today.

Abram, having recently returned from the risky rescue of his nephew Lot and even more recently rejected the riches offered him by the world, finds himself in the grips of fear (Genesis 14). Perhaps Abram fears the marauders coming after him in vengeance for his rescue of Lot; if this is the case, it makes sense why he mentions to God his lack of a proper heir. Perhaps it wasn’t even death itself that he feared, but, rather, dying without the heir that would have been necessary to seed the lineage of nations that God had promised to him. After all, years have elapsed since God’s first initiation toward him which prompted his leaving of country and kindred to follow the self-revealing God (Genesis 12: 1–4); however, the promised child was nowhere in sight.

Either way, God comes to him and speaks rich blessing over fearful Abram:

“Fear not, Abram, I am your shied; your reward shall be very great” (Genesis 15:1).

Security of Presence

The Scriptures are replete with imagery of God as refuge to his people. When I think refuge, I tend to think place (fortresses and cleft in the rock kind of refuges). When our boys were younger, I spend most of my time and energy doing my best to create a home that was a place of security, stability, order, refuge, and safety for them (and for my own sanity). in those early years, they needed the security of place.

But God had previously and distinctly called Abram away from the safety of place. He bid him leave the places and positions that were comfortable to him to trade them for a life of following him (Genesis 12: 1–4). In light of this call to leave the security of place, God’s promise of security through presence stands out.

The Hebrew word God used for shield implies a buckler, a small shield that is used as covering or protection. This is an offer of as-you-go-protection and security for Abram and Sarai. This is an offer of security through presence.

My heart was strengthened to remember that God does not simply promise to provide a shield (though that would be generous in and of itself). No, God goes far beyond provision of a shield: he promises to be Abram’s shield.

I didn’t know how much my soul needed this reminder of the security of God’s presence until my eyes welled up with tears. As my boys grow (physically, spiritually, emotionally, and relationally), they need as-you-go-security of God’s presence, his promises of protection and nearness, more than than they need the security of place that is our home. Though they still need a safe place to land and regroup, their worlds are getting larger and larger and the leash between them and myself is getting longer and longer. The as-you-go security of the indwelling Spirit of God settles my heart as they spread their wings. He is with him. He has attached himself to them. He is their security through all the changing scenes that are sure to come.

And the same promise applies to me as the seasons of motherhood (which has become a place of security for me) change. My security is not in the presence of my children or having them all under one roof or in one car; my security is the sure, steady presence of Christ in me.

Security of Presence that Leads us Towards the Security of Place

It’s a good thing God had not promised Abram the security of place, because his life remained one of much changing and moving. As Abram waited upon the fulfillment of the flourish of promises God made to him, he learned what we, too, must learn: his security would not be found in any earthly city or any temporary season of stasis, but in the city that was to come, whose builder and architect was God (Hebrews 11: 10). Through the security of presence, Abram, by faith, moved towards the security of place that is the New Heavens and the New Earth.

Abraham and Sarah, along with all the saints who have gone before us, let the security of God’s presence lead them toward the security of God’s place (wherein we will also experience the fullness of his presence).

“These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth” (Hebrews 11:13–14).

We join a long train of sanctified sinners acknowledging that no place on this earth or season of life will ever fully offer us security. He alone is our shield and our very great reward.