Psalm 28:8-9 (NIV)
"The Lord is the strength of his people, a fortress of salvation for his anointed one. Save your people and bless your inheritance; be their shepherd and carry them forever."
From our years of ministering to the soldiers of the U.S. Army, we've come to learn the names of some Army installations, and can even identify some of the states where these installations reside. For an Air Force guy, this is a big accomplishment!
While Army installations are called posts, kasernes, or barracks in Europe, within the United States, they are referred to as forts. As a child, I was fascinated by forts and built many with Lincoln Logs. And as you know, while safely within the fort, the good guys always win.
Within the church, we are blessed by the fortress which is our Lord's anointing. We are the ones covered in the shed blood of Jesus Christ, thus protected from Satan's accusations and the Father's righteous judgment. With the Lord's fortress, we are blessed by the removal of our sin and guilt by the Lord's work on the cross of Calvary.
Just as a fort has an officer in charge, one who cares for the needs of its inhabitants and directs the fort's defenses, so it is likewise within the fortress which is given as our blessing. Of course, our officer in charge is not a military man, but a shepherd. Jesus Christ, the Great Shepherd, is the one who anoints and directs the church within his fortress.
You may have noticed there are many wooden forts left in America, for they simply couldn't stand up to the test of time. Rain, dry rot, insects, fires, and the relentless pace of progress have destroyed them, so that we're pretty much left to drawings and our imaginations to envision these forts.
But notice our blessing. The fortress which is Jesus Christ stands forever. It will not be defeated. The church is secure in the Lord. Our Shepherd leads us forever.
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