Wednesday, October 15, 2008

A Mighty Fortress is Our God


Last week when I was up in a tree deer hunting - I read a little book called, "A Mighty Fortress" by T. M. Moore. It was quite good and since I cannot brag about the deer I took - I will publish a few posts with short passages that spoke to my heart as I redeemed the time while hunting.

This book breaks down Martin Luther's hymn with illustrations from historical and Biblical figures and situations.

A mighty fortress is our God,
  a bulwark never failing!
Our helper, he, amid the flood,
  of mortal ills prevailing.

P. 23

How easy it is for us to depend on things other than God Himself to protect us amid the flood of mortal ills that daily seek to prevail against us. Loving families, well-paying jobs, secure nest eggs, warm homes, happy churches, even out own intelligence, charm or spirituality -- all of these can become redoubts behind which we take shelter when trials or difficulties lay siege to our well-being. Yet none of these is a bulwark strong enough to preserve our peace. Only God Himself will do. Only knowing Him, resting in and resorting to Him, and leaving the hard issues, difficult decisions, and mind=boggling uncertainties to His sovereign, loving care will allow us to be completely at peace in the midst of every circumstance, and to know the victorious power of God's presence in our midst and on our side. God alone can keep us from being overwhelmed by the flood or mortal ills that rises against us continually. The challenge t
o us is to learn how to take refuge in Him, and not in any flimsy redoubts of our own devising.

Now what book will I take this week?

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Thanks Ken. I needed this.