The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord; he is their stronghold in times of trouble. The Lord helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in him. Psalm 37:39-40
If you ever happen to travel through Europe or the United Kingdom on the top of many of the hills there are forts. These are amazing structures and many of them protected the villagers when raiders or ‘the enemy’ came past over the centuries. Kamp Holland the military base I was at in Afghanistan provided us with protection and refuge, when we went “outside the wire” the story was very different.
When reading this Psalm two thoughts came to my mind – one was of a strong fort on a hill providing protection and shelter, the other was the strong grip of a hand holding you from falling providing reassurance and safety. God’s grip is stronger than Tarzan’s Grip and can hold you safe regardless of what is happening.
We do have to do something here – we have to be willing to walk into His stronghold to be able to take refuge. Sitting outside under the shadow of the wall will not save us from the raiders, we actually have to be willing to walk inside and trust Him to protect us.
So if you feel like things are piling up, take the time to speak with God about it and also look around and see if you are “inside or outside the wire” of God’s stronghold.
Godspeed
Rev Steve Neuhaus
Eagles Rest Ministries