For You are my rock and my fortress;
Therefore, for Your name’s sake,
Lead me and guide me.
Psalm 31:3 (NKJV)
Thought for Today: Sitting on Castle Rock overlooking the city, Edinburgh Castle has quite an interesting history. From it's early beginnings, it was constantly changing hands between the English and the Scottish. In 1573, the English laid seige to the city in an attempt to capture Mary, Queen of Scots. This seige lasted for two years. Eventually, the English were able to blast through the fortified castle and capture all of the defending troops. After every battle, the castle was patched back up, refortified and used again by either side.
If you are a believer, you have an undefeatable fortress, the Lord God Almighty. He is our unchanging rock, a fortress in which to seek refuge. Yet, so many times, we come under attack from without and within, feeling like the walls of our fortress will fall down around us. We don't trust in ways that we should and allow the walls to come down, sometimes in very subtle ways, allowing this world to draw us away from our Lord. We so often can't feel the loving arms of protection around us, missing out on allowing the Lord to shelter us during our most trying times. What to do? When you can't feel Him near you, He still is there. Look to Him, turn towards Him and ask for guidance, ask for His leading. Seek to repair the cracks in the walls of your fortress, confess your unbelief and He will bring you back to a place of shelter.
If you visit Edinburgh Castle today, you will see evidence of many repairs done over the years; patched walls, rebuilt towers. Our lives as Christians are much like that. Something falls apart, leaving us vulnerable. Yet, through God's grace we are able to rebuild, to return to the safety of resting in the shadow of His wings. My prayer today is that you will turn to Him always, regardless of what you are going through.
Heavenly Father, we face so much in this life and so often turn from You in our unbelief. Forgive us for not believing fully in your goodness, your peace and your protection. May we run back to You, like a child running to the safety of his father's arms, knowing that we can find true protection in You alone.
