A mighty fortress is our God
A bulwark never failing...
~Opening verse to 'A Mighty Fortress' by Martin Luther, 1527 (?)
Out of all of Luther's lyrics, 'A Mighty Fortress' is one of his most memorable. The lyrics are a paraphrase of Psalm 46, which starts out so famously;
'God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.'
...and goes on to say...
'Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with their surging.'
~verse 2-3~
The actual word 'fortress' is repeated seventeen times in the psalms; I've read these verses many times... and I've asked this question many times inbetween those readings. If God is our fortress, why do we continue to cry and get scared? How do we still cower in fear, give in to despair, and quiver with tears?
One, I believe that God doesn't raise his children to be stupid. The emotions of fear, anxiety, and sadness were planned out along with joy, peace, and comfort. They release our hearts from bearing too much, hone instincts which keep us from danger... these emotions- while not pleasant- strengthen our consciences just as happiness, love, and excitement are meant to do.
Two, when we do have to cry or feel fear, where do we do it? Under the covers of our bed, in a comfy chair in the den... curled up on the floor with your trusted furry friend. You do it in the safest place that you know of because you trust your tears, anger, and frustration within that space. Without judgement.
When God becomes our fortress, it isn't just our salvation, our stronghold and horn (strength). He's our fortress when we can't be. He also becomes our security to have our cries, our yells, and even our selfish moments:
One, I believe that God doesn't raise his children to be stupid. The emotions of fear, anxiety, and sadness were planned out along with joy, peace, and comfort. They release our hearts from bearing too much, hone instincts which keep us from danger... these emotions- while not pleasant- strengthen our consciences just as happiness, love, and excitement are meant to do.
Two, when we do have to cry or feel fear, where do we do it? Under the covers of our bed, in a comfy chair in the den... curled up on the floor with your trusted furry friend. You do it in the safest place that you know of because you trust your tears, anger, and frustration within that space. Without judgement.
When God becomes our fortress, it isn't just our salvation, our stronghold and horn (strength). He's our fortress when we can't be. He also becomes our security to have our cries, our yells, and even our selfish moments:
'But I will sing of your strength, in the morning
I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress,
my refuge in times of trouble.'
~Psalm 59:16~
God becomes our fortress for all the parts of our lives. Because those are the parts that He loves and wants to guard for us.
Love this! We forget to run to the Fortress!
ReplyDelete