God is my Stronghold!!

So, I had a kind of paradigm shift last night. Or maybe it was just a true revelation from God. Anyway, it changed the way I was thinking about strongholds. Last night at prayer meeting, Pastor Alec was reading Psalm 18 and though he read the first thirty one verses, I could hardly get past the last word of verse two:

“The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,
    my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge,
    my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.”

Psalm 18:2 (ESV)

Wait… what? God is my stronghold?! In all my years of being a Christian, I have always thought of a “stronghold” as a tool of Satan – like a pit or dungeon where he keeps us bound up in sin . . . fear, depression, drugs, alcohol, adultery, lying, stealing, gossip, jealousy, etc. And yet, here in Psalm 18:2 David writes that God is my stronghold!

I stood there thinking about this and realized that all this time I have tried to fight my way out of Satan’s stronghold, prayed for God to break the chains that hold me in those strongholds, not realizing God IS my stronghold!!  

If God is my stronghold, then that place of safety and deliverance is greater and more fortified than the chains and cords of Satan’s strongholds.  What amazing freedom is in that revelation!

God is not only my rock, 

my fortress, my deliverer,

 my refuge and my shield….

He is my STRONGHOLD!

“Little children, you are from God and have overcome them,

for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.”

1 John 4:4

‘Lena Ehlert

© Whispers in Worship, 2014

Be Still and Know....

Sunday morning...I find my place in the sanctuary. There is a lot on my mind; a lot of situations that are out of my control. The music begins and we begin to sing:

A mighty fortress is our God; 

a sacred refuge is Your Name. 

Your kingdom is unshakable  

with You forever we will reign.

We will keep my eyes on You!

Oh that sacred refuge! That place to run and hide when life overwhelms. And the reminder to keep my eyes on Him and not on the crises in life.

My hope is built on nothing less 

than Jesus blood and righteousness. 

I dare not trust the sweetest frame 

but wholly lean on Jesus’ Name. 

Christ alone; cornerstone. 

Weak made strong 

through the Saviors love. 

Through the storm 

He is Lord...Lord of all!

I felt the Holy Spirit was speaking to me, reminding me of God's faithfulness, His promises, His identity. 

I wept before Him as He reassured me that I don’t have to carry this or fix that on my own. He is my place of refuge, my place of safety when I'm overwhelmed; He is my strength when I have depleted all that I have. . No matter what circumstances arise I can rest in the knowledge that He can handle it and He has a place of safety and rest in which I can dwell. 

As we finished singing, I sat down and opened my Bible, drawn to Psalm 46.  

God is our refuge and strength,

    an ever-present help in trouble.

Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way

    and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,

  though its waters roar and foam

    and the mountains quake with their surging.

There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,

    the holy place where the Most High dwells.

God is within her, she will not fall;

    God will help her at break of day.

Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall;

    he lifts his voice, the earth melts.

The Lord Almighty is with us;

    the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Come and see what the Lord has done,

    the desolations he has brought on the earth.

He makes wars cease

    to the ends of the earth.

He breaks the bow and shatters the spear;

    he burns the shields with fire.

He says, “Be still, and know that I am God…"

Take a moment and read this chapter again, out loud and very slowly. Meditate on the promises of His safety and refuge, His help and presence. And then surrender all those worries and cares to Him. 

Be still and know that He alone is God. 

'Lena Ehlert

©Whispers in Worship