The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer;
My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield
and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
Psalm 18:2
I’m really into castles, though I’ve never really been to one. I’ve taken virtual tours online and checked out books from the library. Sometimes, as a kid, I’d lie in bed at night and fantasize about owning a thick-walled castle. I’d pretend the enemy surrounded the place. They’d be yelling, screaming and shooting arrows, but I saw myself reclining in a four-poster bed away in some high tower. Then, I’d fall asleep.
King David had a thing for fortresses too, and they also helped him sleep at night. Five times in the Old Testament, David calls God his fortress and then adds on several other terms that communicate defensive positions. David wasn’t just paranoid; bad guys really were out to get him, but the bottom line was that he felt safe when he was close to God.
Living in a dangerous world, tragedy can come into everyone’s life at any time. Many people are afraid to leave their homes or meet new people. Bound by fear, they are paralyzed to venture out past their comfort zone. They can’t be spontaneous; they’re too afraid of what might happen.
Believers who are “strong in the Lord and in the power of His might” (Ephesians 6:10) have Christ as their fortress and “fear no evil” (Psalm 23:4). There is a peace and attitude of security, because they know that God is in control. Nothing, absolutely nothing, can happen in the life of a child of God that isn’t His will. There’s great confidence in that. It enables us to live life to the fullest.
If, and when, bad things happen to good people, God is still in charge and allows this for a greater good. Scoffers mock God when this happens and say, “See, God can’t save you from harm!” The fact of the matter is that the Lord can and does protect His saints. The mockers will never understand the peace that surpasses understanding (Philippians 4:7), because they have never even spent one day in the security of Jesus the Fortress.
March 5
