Last week I talked about giants as strongholds in our lives. I realized that I only looked at one side of the conversation so I’d like to explore a different direction today.
Strongholds are meant to be places of safety and security. In ancient times European people built strongholds that eventually became the remarkable, beautiful, enduring castles that we all recognize today. Strongholds can be less obvious also, without physical form.
Our Constitution is a stronghold that most of us take for granted. Living in the U.S. we are quick to say, “I have the right to…” Before COVID19 we couldn’t imagine being restricted from going anywhere anytime with anyone we chose. Suddenly our “right” to freedom of movement has changed. Do we no longer have that right? I believe that it will return. In the meantime, consider how changing that one stronghold has impacted our entire way of life.
Have you used your “rights” to build personal strongholds for yourself? Have you built walls around your heart? Is your place of refuge a computer game, where real life doesn’t enter in? Perhaps you have surrounded yourself with all the things that we’ve been told will make us happy, so that your stronghold is the physical presence of your stuff. Do you use your “right” to roam the internet in a way that diminishes you or someone else?
What I am really wondering today is this: do our “rights” interfere with our relationship with God? I would love to hear what you think about this. Please feel free to leave comments.
Pastor Ann is going to be speaking with us about the strongholds in our world on Sunday morning. Please join us LIVE in the parking lot at 964 W. Hwy 190 in Cove, livestream with us on Facebook or watch her sermon later in the day on YouTube.