Nov 27 - Psalm 27:1

 

The LORD is my light

and my salvation —

whom shall I fear?

The LORD is the

stronghold of my life —

of whom shall I be afraid?

Psalm 27:1

 

Look at that word "stronghold."

 

Typically Christians, especially those of a more charismatic stripe, use the word stronghold to talk about spiritual (even satanic) bondage. To find the common meaning of this term, I typed "stronghold" into a search engine. Here's the first quick explanation I found ...

 

·         "The devil and his army of demons look for and know how to find the chink in our armour, to enable them to get a toehold, then a foothold, then a stronghold and then a stranglehold in people’s lives. ...

·         "A stronghold is a false view of God and a false view of ourselves, which is not according to God’s word.  It is a set of beliefs or collection of ideas ... which is not of God and which is not the truth and so therefore by default consists of lies." (from a site I don't even know - Truth in Reality)

·         What does this tell us? Satan's minions continually sew falsehood to draw away us from God, and the lies that we choose to believe put us at great risk. They cause us to compromise in areas of attitudes, beliefs, morals, etc. When we bind ourselves to these lies and vices, these corruptions and deceits become a stronghold, a spiritual/mental prison, that is hard to escape.

 

Do you like that definition?

 

Have you experienced it in your life?

 

Well, whether you use the word “stronghold” to define the deceptions that confine you or not, it’s a valid concept. We’re all prone to be tripped, tricked, and imprisoned. But … that’s not how today’s Psalm uses this word!

 

Here the Psalmist celebrates that his stronghold is the Lord! What does that mean? Well, use the preceding definitions … except substitute words like truth for lie and freedom for imprisonment!

 

·         God wants to be a holy stronghold. The Creator and his angels look to deliver us from evil by shoring up the chinks in our armor.

·         A holy stronghold is a true view of the truth God. It’s also an accurate view of ourselves – made in the image of God … but on our own, sinful and unclean.

·         The lies that we choose to believe put us at great risk, but “the truth,” as Jesus said, “shall set you free.”

·         Lies compromise our attitudes, morals, and beliefs. Truth guards us, protects us, breaks the chains of corruption, and sets us free.

 

In Christ’s Love,

a guy who wants

a stronghold –

a foothold on the

beachhead of truth