"Like a swallow, like a crane, so I twitter; I moan like a dove; My eyes look wistfully to the heights; O Lord, I am oppressed, be my security.

Isaiah 38:14 NAS

What a simple and easy thing to cry before the Lord, "O Lord, I am oppressed, be my security." Do you ever feel oppressed? In the last devotional we saw that the Lord is our stability (Is 33:6). Again we need to know without a shadow of a doubt where our security comes. Sometimes we may feel like all we can do is pray the prayer King Hezekiah prayed. It is in these times that knowing where our stability and security comes from will be vital to our daily walk in Christ.

King Hezekiah was feeling oppressed during a time after having an illness and being in recovery. His prayer was simple. He just asked for one thing. He said, "O Lord...be my security." He was open and honest with the Lord as to where he was at that time. He did not have to come up with a big drawn out prayer, he simply asked that the Lord to be his security. Sometimes we can feel so overwhelmed with life and the problems we face.

Our health can play a major role in our outlook on life. Illness will rob a person of their joy, if their hearts are not properly placed in trusting Christ. This is the same with Christians when they take their eyes off of Jesus. When we face sickness and disease we may find ourselves facing depression. When we face failure in our lives we can start to become spiritually bewildered.

We may feel like we are in a desert land without water. King Hezekiah became mortally ill and the Lord through the prophet Isaiah told him that he was going to die. In fact he was told to get his house in order. He needed to make sure everything was taken care of in his house. Hezekiah was not resolved to be done with his life yet. So he took His petition to the Lord. He presented himself to the Lord and the Lord had mercy on him and gave him fifteen more years to live (Is 38:1-5).

The Lord was his security. He knew where his stability was. It was in the Lord God of Israel. The word security in Hebrew is `arab (aw-rab') and means to braid, i.e. intermix; technically, to traffic (as if by barter); also or give to be security (as a kind of exchange): KJV usage is to engage, (inter-) meddle (with), mingle (self), mortgage, occupy, give pledges, be (-come, put in) surety, undertake (1).

The King James Version says, "undertake for me." This is a really neat picture of the Lord and His relationship with us. The security He provides us in this way is like the security that a parent provides through our whole life. Even when we're grown up there is that feeling of, "I can always call Mom and Dad." Who is the most likely person in your life to become surety for you? Who will always be there to cosign for you?

The answer again Mom and Dad. I suppose that is why it is so devastating to loose a parent. That feeling of security is gone. Then you become that security for your own kids. Of course we really don't understand this until we are all grown up. We truly do not understand how much our parents provide that security for us until we are the security for our own kids. The Lord always provides us that security. He gave us the promise of a pledge by the Holy Spirit to seal us in Himself (Eph 1:13).

He not only cosigned a loan to pay for our sins; He paid the price in full. His Holy Spirit is the guarantee that He will come back for us. King Hezekiah trusted in the God of Israel to give him the security He needed during what might have seemed like a dark bitter time in his life. Jesus is always ready and willing to become our security. He wants us to surrender to Him and cry out, "I can't do it Lord on my own. I need you, here I am, take all that I have."

He will then becomes surety for all that we have. He promises to take all that we have and exchange it for peace. Remember the definition for this security is an exchange. He exchanges our worries, troubled hearts, wounded spirits, broken dreams, past and present failures and exchanges them for peace and joy, His complete peace and joy. What a great trade off. Today are you ready to exchange all that you have for His complete peace.

Bring it to Him; bring your broken heart, wounded spirit to the stability and security that only God can provide. Watch, as He loves on you like no parent can. Watch, as He becomes surety for you. He is the guarantor of your life. He has it all figured out. Trust Him today that He is going to be with you in sickness and in health, until death in the flesh do you part.

If you are suffering right now from an illness please be encouraged that you’re not alone. Jesus is right here with you through it all, even to the end of the age. "I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Matt 28:20 NAS