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Stronghold

My Stronghold, My Strength

by TerryLema

Psalm 27 is titled “My Stronghold” in my Bible and its beginning is a roar.

“The LORD is my light and my salvation—whom should I fear?  The LORD is the stronghold [strength] of my life—of whom should I be afraid?” [vs 1 HCSB]

It is attributed to David. I picture him standing on a mountain top shouting to the skies just Who God is. Then I see him looking down the mountain and asking himself – whom should I fear, whom should I be afraid of – and responding with a resounding “No one!”

Later on in the psalm we find that God is also our “shelter” and “cover,” and that he is our “helper” and will never leave nor abandon us. [vs 5, 9]

But it is that opening verse that captures our hearts with that one word translated “strength” in many translations and “stronghold” in others. The word in the original language means a place or means of safety and protection.

Everything around us is geared to generate fear. Politicians love to create fear, so we keep thinking we must depend upon them to overcome all the issues they keep highlighting. News broadcasters love to highlight fear, so we keep tuning in to see if there is any relief on the horizon. Big companies create fear. Stock market analysts create fear. Inflation creates fear. Recession creates fear.  The world is one big fear-monger.

But God is our “stronghold” and when we trust Him, He is that place of safety and protection.  What or whom should we fear?  Nothing, No one.

Thank you, LORD. Today I focus on the stronghold you have provided for those who love You. Thank you for being our light, salvation, strength, shelter, cover and helper. Amen

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Until … Until

by TerryLema

I love mornings. I am an early riser, usually between 4:30 and 6:00 AM. I wake up, grab a cup of coffee and head to my bonus room in the quiet. I watch as the world gets lighter around me, darkness flees with each passing minute.

In those early morning hours, I write, I pray, I study, I converse with my LORD and Savior. Those hours are the most precious to me – I hate anything that interrupts them.

I think David must have been an early riser. Maybe all shepherds have to be so. Many of his songs speak of mornings and his attention to the LORD upon rising.

“But I will sing of Your strength and will joyfully proclaim Your faithful love in the morning. For You have been a stronghold for me, a refuge in my day of trouble.” [Psalm 59:16 HCSB]

God is a stronghold and refuge in the day of trouble. I think the last few years could be described so far as “years of trouble” not just days. They certainly have abounded with fear, misinformation, loss, hopelessness, and opposition. The horizon of change still seems to be far off. So much talk of things not getting back to normal until we end the pandemic … until inflation reverses … until mass shootings are stopped … until ….

There seems to be no set plan or date for returning to normal, and I wonder if the old normal will ever return.

Amid all this the church is being called upon to repent and turn back to God. So many heavy-duty issues to deal with daily. Still God continues to remind us that He alone is our stronghold, He alone is our refuge. It is His strength and His faithful love that comes to us every morning.

Thank you, LORD, for being there each day, providing a stronghold and refuge for your people. Amen.

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Disclaimer

by TerryLema

When I first started reading my Bible through each year back in the 80’s, I used an outline that had me reading the Psalms and Gospels twice, the rest of the books of the Bible once. I also read five Psalms and one chapter of Proverbs each day. I fell in love with the songs of Scripture. I am still in love with the songs of Scripture.

I woke to Psalm 59 this morning. It is a song of David and it was written when Saul sent agents to watch the house and kill him.

The main them of the song is a cry for deliverance. It begins, “Deliver me from my enemies, my God; protect me from those who rise up against me.” [HCSB]

David’s description of his enemies throughout the song is vivid, but it is the ending that gets me every time. It begins in verse 16, and it begins with that word “but.”

“But” is a disclaimer of everything preceding it because of what follows it.

“But I will sing of Your strength and will joyfully proclaim Your faithful love in the morning. For You have been a stronghold for me, a refuge in the day of trouble. To You, my strength, I sing praises, because God is my stronghold—my faithful God.” [vs 16-17 HCSB]

The enemies may have been prowling around outside waiting to do him harm, but David was safe inside the stronghold of His Faithful God.

And so are we! Amen

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In the Day of Trouble …

by TerryLema

I love mornings. I am an early riser, usually between 4:30 and 6:00 AM. I wake up, grab a cup of coffee and head to my bonus room in the quiet. I watch as the world gets lighter around me, darkness flees with each passing minute.

In those early morning hours, I write, I pray, I study, I converse with my LORD and Savior. Those hours are the most precious to me – I hate anything that interrupts them.

I think David must have been an early riser. Maybe all shepherds have to be so. Many of his songs speak of mornings and his attention to the LORD upon rising.

“But I will sing of Your strength and will joyfully proclaim Your faithful love in the morning. For You have been a stronghold for me, a refuge in my day of trouble.” [Psalm 59:16 HCSB]

God is a stronghold and refuge in the day of trouble. I think 2020 could be described so far as a “year of trouble.” It certainly has abounded with fear, misinformation, loss, hopelessness, and opposition. The horizon of change still seems to be far off. So much talk of things not getting back to normal until … until the infection count goes down … until a vaccine is available … until … until. There seems to be no set plan or date for returning to normal, and I wonder if the old normal will ever return.

Amid all this the church is being called upon to repent and turn back to God. So many heavy-duty issues to deal with daily. Still, amid all this God is reminding us that He alone is our stronghold, He alone is our refuge. It is His strength and His faithful love that comes to us every morning.

Thank you, LORD, for being there each day, providing a stronghold and refuge for your people. Amen.

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