Today you and I will steep ourselves entirely in the first verse and the picture it draws. How does verse 1 describe the people who trust in God? “like Mount Zion”
‘Those who [are “confident”] in the Lord are like Mount Zion. It cannot be shaken; it remains forever.’ How would you describe confidence in the Lord?
“Knowing that, even if I, myself, am inadequate, ‘I can do all things in Christ who strengthens me.’”
‘Those who [are “secure”] in the Lord are like Mount Zion. It cannot be shaken; it remains forever.’ How would you describe security in the Lord?
“ultimately nothing to fear – He will never leave me nor forsake me.”
‘Those who [are “sure”] in the Lord are like Mount Zion. It cannot be shaken; it remains forever.’ How would you describe being sure in the Lord?
“Having complete trust in Him and in His Word.”
Few things in the human experience breed misery more than insecurity. 
Can you think of a few ways insecurity has caused you some misery? If so, please share them as honestly as you can.
“As a teen, lack of confidence talking and dealing with peers; perhaps as an adult fears of ridicule/rejection for professing my faith, perhaps reluctance to make final decisions.”
Check each of these conditions that could be rooted in security: jealousy, low self-worth, envy, promiscuity, manipulation, unbelief [you checked all of them]
Add a few more that come to mind: “Indecisiveness, Fear, Clingy/Stalker/Possessiveness”
When key people in your formative years were supposed to bring you security, but brought insecurity instead (“Suzy”), you inherit a tremor in your soul that is impossible to naturally still. Add to it all the times you let yourself down and fail to measure up like I did, and naturally speaking, you’re a piece of earth in a constant quake.
What metaphor do Psalm 125:1 and Psalm 30:6-7 share? “a person as a mountain.”
Glance back at Psalm 30:6-7 and write the psalmist David’s first sentence, emphasizing each ‘I’ by making the letter larger than the others.
When I was secure, I said, ‘I will never be shaken.’”
What wording does [the New King James Version] use instead of ‘when I felt secure’? “‘Now in my prosperity’”
Our greater and slyer temptation is to place our security in the blessings we readily credit to the Lord. 
We can grow secure in the favor God has shown us, but God’s favor and His person are not synonymous.
Mountain-like security only comes from trusting God, not what He’s done for us or given us, however, glorious and eternal those things may be.
Dearest Rachel –
One of the nice things about going through your old notes is that it brings you down to earth. I can’t afford to elevate you on a pedestal and think of you as some sort of saint (although, of course, as believers, we are all considered ‘saints,’ no matter what the Catholic Church says. It’s just that, in the absence of you due to your passing, I might think of you as some perfect angel, and you were no more that than I am). I can read these words and confirm (with a mild chuckle) that yes, you struggled with insecurity, in the form of being unable to let go of things, as well as being unable to make certain decisions. I’d like to hope that I didn’t contribute to that in any way; the fact that you speak of being insecure as a teen – before you ever met me – suggest at least that I’m not wholly responsible.
Then again, it’s only natural for us to put a certain amount of faith in the things we can see. We sit down in chairs, believing they will hold us up. We rely on our bank statements, trusting that the funds we need are there and will be available to us when the time or opportunity arrives. Likewise, we assume our friends and family, and others that we love, will be by our side throughout the struggles of life. There’s nothing particularly inappropriate about these conclusions, but if we rely on these temporal things alone, we are setting ourselves up for a dangerous situation.
The difficulty comes in trying to rely on something that we can’t see. Beth talks about putting our faith in the blessings. God gives us rather than in Him Himself; but as Jesus explained to Nicodemus, we can see the effects of the wind, and not the wind itself. We know of God (both the Father and the Spirit) because of what they do and have done, and we reach for these more visible, experiential things in order to have something to grasp onto.  all of which is perfectly logical, from a human standpoint, but it does result in us potentially taking our focus off of what we ought to have it on. 
God has given us the things of this earth, and while they are more visible to us than he is, they will eventually be eclipsed by the light of His glory and grace. You understand this better than I do at this point, I’m sure, being in His presence in a way that I can’t understand just yet. I can only look forward to when that day will arrive, when I will understand more fully; the irony is that, by then, I suppose, I will have no need for faith or trust, since at that point, all will be revealed and visible.
Until that day comes, though, keep an eye on me, honey, and wish me luck. I’m going to need it.
Letters to Rachel 