Nahum 1:7 The Lord is good, a refuge in the times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in Him.
Proverbs 18:10 The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.
A stronghold is a place with restricted access. It is a place of protection or it can be a place where we can hide. Many times, in this world, we have built strongholds for both good and bad reasons. We tend to hide some of our worst habits and beliefs behind walls of strength to protect them from the light of truth. We tend to protect our prejudices behind carefully constructed walls of stubbornness and rebellion. We don’t want others to have access to our thoughts or actions that have not been made public.
Thankfully, we have a Savior Who is our stronghold. His light shines truth into our lives. We can run to Him and know that He already knows all our secrets, rebellious thoughts, and bad habits. He knows our hearts. He knows our fears and failures. He loved us from before time began. We can feel safe running to Him with confessions and know we will be helped and forgiven. There is nothing we can’t tell Him. He already knows.
Ps 61:2,3 From the ends of the earth I call to You, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the Rock that is higher than I. For You have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe.
Our enemy knows our weak spots and takes advantage of that. He knows where we are the most vulnerable and sneaks in arrows of temptation. He is subtle and sneaky. He doesn’t set out big warning signs of his intentions or billboards announcing his plan of action. He starts with a little detour from our beliefs or encourages us to compromise on a ‘minor’ point. When we next look behind at the trail we have been following, we find we are far from the straight and narrow.
God is the Rock of our salvation. He places us in the cleft of the Rock. He protects us from the enemy of our souls. He rejoices when we run to Him and ask Him to lead us back into His will for our lives. He is faithful and just to forgive our sins and set our feet firmly on the path back to Him. He is the stronghold that can protect us and comfort us.