“Is it possible?” Yes! This was a question asked by a lady member of the church who wondered if it was possible for me, a police officer, to be engaged to marry a pastor. She continued to ask, “How can it be, police work and God’s work?” She explicitly said that these two could not go together because she associated policing with brutality.
This question came to me after I had already served the Malawi government for over 23 years, both in the Public and State Security departments as a police officer (having risen to the rank of deputy commissioner of police) and as an intelligence officer.
During that time, I was not married but continually prayed three times a day, sometimes more, asking God to give me a husband who loved Him.
God holds our future. Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for wholeness and not evil, to give you a future and hope.” I believe God set plans for my life before I was born.
Public and State security have been vital roles worldwide
since ancient times. In Acts 21:30-36, a Roman centurion prevented Paul from being lynched in Jerusalem and brought him safely under armed escort to his military headquarters at Caesarea when there were threats against Paul’s life. Even today, the police help to maintain law and order.
Number 13:1-33 talks about state security (intelligence) legal spies. The responsibility of intelligence is to ensure the security of a nation’s interests. In this case, as sanctioned by God Himself, Canaan was of interest to Israel. Hence, the mission was to spy on the Promised Land.
In this example, the debriefing categorized the spies into objective or misleading agents. Objective state security assists formulation of sound policies, and the spies who reported positively about Canaan were objective, bearing in mind that the land was of interest to Israel. Today, Israel has a very efficient and reliable State Security Service known as the MOSSAD.
Defense security also is vital in defending the nations and in peace-keeping missions. In Judges 4, Deborah, a prophetess
Veronica Chilunga
Veronica is a shepherdess in Malawi, Africa.
who was judging Israel at that time, accompanied the Israelite army to war. The Israelites defeated the enemy, and not a man was left. When God is with you, nobody will be against you.
Just as Jesus performed the first miracle, turning water into wine as recorded in John 2:6 10, a police/intelligence officer is turned into a Shepherdess. God Himself has called me to serve Him. It is my prayer that I will work to His glory. Like the centurion at the foot of the Cross who declared, “Truly, this was the Son of God,” I believe in our Lord Jesus Christ.
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Cornelius the centurion (whose story is recorded in Acts 10) was a devout man who feared God with his household. I encourage members of the Defense, Public, and State Security to be like Cornelius in having a close relationship with Jesus Christ our Lord. Inviting Him into our hearts should be ongoing. Just like the centurion who asked Jesus to come and heal his servant (Luke 7:3-10), we should have faith in Jesus and invite Him to heal our hearts. The joy of inviting Jesus into my heart is overwhelming.
