The LORD is the stronghold of my life - of whom shall I fear? - Psalm 27:1

In the Old Testament, the word "stronghold" was the same as a "fortress", a place to hide, a refuge, a place of protection.  Our author, David, was very familiar with places to hide and held on for dear life to God as his stronghold.  In the New Testament we see a different kind of stronghold, one Paul was warning the Israelites about that "...sets itself up against the knowledge of God" (2 Cor.10:5).  One kind gives us freedom and safety, the other is something to be feared.  The world today will not help you hold onto God as your stronghold.  You will have to make a decision to do that.

In Martin Luther's hymn A MIGHTY FORTRESS IS OUR GOD, written in German, Thomas Carlyle translated verse 1 as:

A safe stronghold our God is still;

A trusty shield and weapon;

He'll help us clear from all the ill;

That hath us now o'ertaken.

Whatever are our strongholds, those things that hold us in bondage, are our choices, most of the time.  We can hold "strongly" to the "ill" of the world and it will have a powerful hold on us.  I know.  David knew.  Jesus knew.  When Jesus was tempted in the desert, the enemy tempted Him with things he was most vulnerable to.  He does the same with us...our areas of weakness are the places he sets the traps.  When we push God out of our lives, we have no power to fight them off.  We are restless, shameful, irritable, empty, stingy, critical and selfish. Unfortunately I recognize myself in that description.  BUT, when God is our stronghold, we have "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control" (Gal. 5:22-23).  My choice.  Your choice.

Hebrews 12:1 says to "..throw off everything that hinders us and the sin that so easily entangles".  I recently finally acknowledged some of those hindrances in my life and am prayerfully making an effort to allow God to "change my thinking".  Back up to the 2 Cor. passage above; it says the way to break the wrong strongholds is to "...take captive every thought and make it obedient to Christ".  Beth Moore in her LIVING FREE study says:  "Renewing the mind means learning to think new thoughts".  I can change the way I think and so can you! Open God's word and let it be your guide.

For further study:  Deuteronomy 33:26-27,  Psalm 18:2, Psalm 46:1, Isaiah 40:28-31, Isaiah 55:2, Galatians 5:1, Colossians 3:5, 1 Thess. 4:3-5, 1 Peter 5:8-11, 1 John 2:15-17.

Be blessed in your understanding of God's word.

Love,

Holly