Land Of Milk And Honey — And Anti-Fraud

Deuteronomy 6:3 – Hear, Israel, and be careful to obey so that it may go well with you and that you may increase greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, promised you. (NIV)

Last year, my friend was the victim of identity theft. A dozen new credit cards were issued, but rarely did the credit card companies call first to confirm. The way identity theft works is that the perpetrator provides a false address that is undeliverable. The mail carrier returns an issued card to the post office, and the fraudster simply pops in and explains that he was expecting mail that must have been sent to the wrong address. Miraculously, despite the bogus address, every new card was delivered to my friend's home! He was able to cancel them all and stop any more from being issued.

Naturally, my friend is now very wary. He's reluctant to purchase anything over the Internet. PayPal handles a large share of the world's online commerce and is a major target for fraud. But according to an article in the June 1, 2016, issue of CPA Magazine, there is one nation that has emerged as a world leader in the development of highly sophisticated fraud prevention systems, and that is Israel.

Tel Aviv is now the world capital for talent that specializes in algorithmic thinking about risk. Israel is the gold standard for maintaining security in all its forms, protecting banks and governments from hackers and airports from terrorist attacks.

PayPal's battle against fraud is led by a team of 100 Israelis, graduates of the Israel Defense Forces' intelligence corps. Writer David Malamed states, "Who better to keep up with or outsmart the ever-creative fraudsters who target companies such as PayPal than men and women trained to protect a nation that is constantly under threat?"

From Bible times until today, those who have trusted in the one true God — Jews and Christians alike — have always been under attack.

1 Peter 5:8 – Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. (NKJV)

Attacks against God's people and their cries for help do not go unnoticed by God.

Psalm 97:10 – Let those who love the Lord hate evil, for he guards the lives of his faithful ones and delivers them from the hand of the wicked. (NIV)

If you're in trouble today, cry out to the Lord. We can be assured that "the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations" (Psalm 100:5 NIV).

Prayer: God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, thank You for the many ways that Your faithful people impact this world. We pray for vigilance as we face the enemy of our souls, and we ask You to rescue and protect all Your children, wherever they live. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.