“The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety.” Psalm 18:2
David was considered a man after God’s own heart. Yet David experienced many physical as well as spiritual battles in his lifetime. He enjoyed many blessings from God, and he also failed God on occasions. I love studying the life of David, because he was so real. While yes, he was considered a man after God’s own heart and he was in close fellowship with God, he didn’t always do everything right. But he knew God. He knew him as his fortress, as his rock, as his shield.
The definition of fortress is “a military stronghold, especially a strongly fortified town fit for a large garrison”. In ancient times fortresses were often walled off from the rest of a city and they were supplied with food, water and ammunition. They were there for protection as well as defense. David knew that when he was walking in fellowship with God he did not need to fear because God was his fortress, his place of safety. David knew this because he had experienced it. After David was anointed King it was still fourteen years before he took his place on the throne and for the majority of those years he was on the run from King Saul who wanted to kill him. David had experienced God’s protection, safety, and deliverance from Saul’s hand many times and had even had opportunity to take Saul out a couple of times but instead he acted with integrity and did not touch the Lord’s anointed one, as King Saul had also at one time been anointed to be King.
I can honestly say that I too have known God as my fortress, my rock, my shield of safety. That is not to say that there is nothing that touches me that hurts my heart. But it is to say that I know where to run to get healing and direction and peace and safety from the things that can truly harm me. And if and when there is something, some circumstance that seems beyond me, I know the one to retreat to when the battle gets too rough. Where do I go to get fortified, to get my nourishment and to have my wounds tended to. I run to my fortress, I hide behind the rock for a while and I get my shield ready for the battle again before I head back out to the field.
What do you run to when the circumstances become overwhelming? Many people run to people, to relationships, or to any number of addictions ~ shopping, alcohol, drugs. Some may look at material things to satisfy and take our mind off of things. But running to our fortress is the only sure thing that will never let you down. He will satisfy and He will give comfort and He will give you peace. And then He will also give direction when it comes time to face those circumstances again.
A mighty fortress is our God!
Restore 