SPIRITUAL AND STRATEGIC SECURITY
Scripture Reading: Genesis 32:1-12
And he said, "If Esau comes to the one company and attacks it, then the other company which is left will escape." - Genesis 32:8
Each of us has something we are apprehensive about. Jacob knew how angry Esau was and how he had nearly killed him several years earlier. As he journeyed back home from exile, he could not tell what to expect. Hearing that Esau was approaching with 400 men was a really scary prospect. Jacob responded in two ways to this threat - spiritual fortification and strategic security. Most of us know that Jacob stayed up all-night in a spiritual encounter with God. He persisted in prayer until he prevailed. That was spiritual fortification.
Jacob's other move was to divide his family and assets into two separate groups. This was a strategic security move ostensibly to minimise the risk of total annihilation. If one party was attacked, the other would have a chance to escape. Such a move in our contemporary world, can be likened to taking up a property or life insurance policy. It could be installing fire extinguishers or providing security for your home or office. It could be a technological intervention like backing up sensitive information away from your operational location or in the cloud. There is a place for strategic security in a believer's life.
Beyond prayer, Jacob recognised that he had a responsibility to think and act strategically in order to reduce the impact of any attack or security threat on his life. Strategic interventions like insurance, security, data protection and investment do not imply lack of faith; instead they are signs of responsible stewardship of the blessing of God in our lives.
Prayer: Father, grant me the wisdom to secure Your blessings in my life both spiritually and strategically.
