Embracing Insecurity in the Pursuit of God
The concept of embracing insecurity in the pursuit of God is rooted in biblical teachings that emphasize the importance of trusting in God amidst uncertainty and fear. The psalmist expresses this sentiment, crying out to God, "My soule thirsteth for God, euen for the liuing God" [3]. This longing for God is often accompanied by a recognition of the insecurity and uncertainty of life, as seen in Ecclesiastes, where the author advises, "Rather, fear God" [2].
In the face of insecurity, biblical figures like David demonstrate a strong confidence in God, enabling them to hold fast to their faith despite adversity. Matthew Henry notes that the fear of the Lord produces a "holy security and serenity of mind" [5]. David's trust in God is evident in his psalms, where he declares, "O Lord my God, in thee do I put my trust" [4]. This trust is not limited to times of peace but is also exercised in times of danger and uncertainty, as seen in Psalm 11, where David resists the temptation to distrust God and instead affirms his trust in Him [6].
The author of Hebrews also emphasizes the importance of faith in the face of uncertainty, warning that it would be a tragedy to fail to experience God's promises due to a lack of faith [9]. This faith is not a feeling of security but rather a commitment to trust in God despite insecurity. As the writer notes, "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God" [1], yet it is in this fear that one finds the motivation to trust in Him.
The pursuit of God is characterized by a willingness to forgo life's normal comforts and securities, as Jesus himself taught [10]. This pursuit involves seeking God with one's whole heart, as David prayed, "I have sought thee with my heart" [8]. In this seeking, one finds a deepening dependence on God and a growing sense of trust in His provision and care.
The biblical narrative thus presents a paradox: it is in embracing insecurity that one finds true security in God. This is not a security that eliminates fear or uncertainty but one that enables believers to face these challenges with confidence in God's presence and care. As Matthew Henry observes, when disappointments in the world drive us to God, we find satisfaction in communion with Him [7].
Sources
- Hebrews “Hebrews 10:31 (BBE) — We may well go in fear of falling into the hands of the living God.”
- Ecclesiastes “Ecclesiastes 5:7 (NASB) — For in many dreams and in many words there is emptiness. Rather, fear God.”
- Psalms “Psalms 42:2 (Geneva1599) — My soule thirsteth for God, euen for the liuing God: when shall I come and appeare before the presence of God?”
- Psalms (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Psalms 7:1: O Lord my God, in thee do I put my trust,.... The psalmist expresses his interest in God as his covenant God, and his trust and confidence in him; and with these he sets out as the stay of his soul, and his bulwark against the fears of his enemies; and he does not say that he had trusted in God, or would for the future trust in him; but that he did trust in him, and continued to do so. And God is to be trusted in at all times; in times of affliction, temptation, and desertion; and these the psalmist premises to his petition, which follows, as an encouragement to him to”
- Proverbs (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Proverbs 14:26: In these two verses we are invited and encouraged to live in the fear of God by the advantages which attend a religious life. The fear of the Lord is here put for all gracious principles, producing gracious practices. 1. Where this reigns it produces a holy security and serenity of mind. There is in it a strong confidence; it enables a man still to hold fast both his purity and his peace, whatever happens, and gives him boldness before God and the world. I know that I shall be justified - None of these things move me; such is the language of this confidence. 2.”
- Psalms (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Psalms 11 (introduction): In this psalm we have David's struggle with and triumph over a strong temptation to distrust God and betake himself to indirect means for his own safety in a time of danger. It is supposed to have been penned when he began to feel the resentments of Saul's envy, and had had the javelin thrown at him once and again. He was then advised to run his country. "No," says he, "I trust in God, and therefore will keep my ground." Observe, I. How he represents the temptation, and perhaps parleys with it, (Psa 11:1-3). II. How he answers it, and puts it to silen”
- Psalms (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Psalms 39:7: The psalmist, having meditated on the shortness and uncertainty of life, and the vanity and vexation of spirit that attend all the comforts of life, here, in these verses, turns his eyes and heart heaven-ward. When there is no solid satisfaction to be had in the creature it is to be found in God, and in communion with him; and to him we should be driven by our disappointments in the world. David here expresses, I. His dependence on God, Psa 39:7. Seeing all is vanity, and man himself is so, 1. He despairs of a happiness in the things of the world, and disclaims al”
- Psalms (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Psalms 119:10: Here is, 1. David's experience of a good work God had wrought in him, which he takes the comfort of and pleads with God: "I have sought thee, sought to thee as my oracle, sought after thee as my happiness, sought thee as my God; for should not a people seek unto their God? If I have not yet found thee, I have sought thee, and thou never saidst, Seek in vain, nor wilt say so to me, for I have sought thee with my heart, with my whole heart, sought thee only, sought thee diligently." 2. His prayer for the preservation of that work: "Thou that hast inclined me to se”
- Hebrews (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Hebrews 4:1: 4:1-2 The author transitions to the promise that the faithful will enter God’s rest and exhorts his listeners to take this promise seriously. Hearing is not enough: It must be combined with faith. 4:1 To fear God means to experience an appropriate reverence, even awe, for God and his will. It would be the worst of tragedies to fail to experience what God has promised.”
- Matthew (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Matthew 8:20: 8:20 Following Jesus is not easy; it involves more than intellectual mastery. Following Jesus entails being willing to forgo life’s normal comforts.”