Great is the LORD and greatly to be praised in the city of our God!
His holy mountain, beautiful in elevation, is the joy of all the earth,
Mount Zion, in the far north, the city of the great King.
Within her citadels God has made himself known as a fortress. (Psalm 48:1-3)
Among the mountains of Europe there stands the remains of a more feudal time. Most countries of the ancient world had their castles set upon hills overlooking the fields and towns. These monuments remind us of the days when people lived in daily fear of invaders attacking them. If there was a threat, the people would flee to the safest shelter they had, a strong castle set upon a hill, far from the arrows of the enemy.
Today we still have such a place to flee to; not a fortress of stone or brick, not one built by human hands, nor one that provides only temporary security. Our fortress is eternal, impregnable and invincible. This fortress is built with the blood of Christ as the mortar, the cross as its beams and the stone of the empty grave as the block. Our fortress is never closed or too full for one more and inside is security like nothing that man can provide.
The Lord Jesus Christ is our tower, to which we can flee to and find safety from all our worries, fears and anxieties. To Him, we are surrounded by an army of heavenly angels who shield us from all harm and who minister to our every need. And, where is this fortress? It is among the highest hills, one which no arrow of danger can reach. It is in the arms of Jesus.
This may sound a little hard to believe, but it is so true. When we turn to Christ, acknowledge Him as our Lord and God, and cry out for forgiveness, we not only receive a complete cleansing from all sin, but we receive the keys to a castle, a place to flee to in times of personal need, and even better, a place to dwell some day when our life here comes to an end.
O, what a wonderful castle God has prepared for us, and it is ours to hide in during the trails of our life.