Stronghold

The LORD is the stronghold of my life...Psalm 27:1

The definition of stronghold is a place of refuge, a place having strong defenses. A stronghold can be good...or...bad. I came across this verse today while doing research for something else; actually it's a sentence in the middle of the verse. However, in reading it felt as if that sentence was jumping off the page at me. God is speaking...

Stronghold.

I pray often for God to take away certain things in my life, like my unhealthy views of my body. And yet, I still have them. It's been really stressing me, making me question is God really still working in my life. I know better, I know He is even when I don't "see" it, I'm just being honest. When change doesn't happen I begin to wonder.

Stronghold.

Reading that sentence today it hit me. Is Jesus the stronghold in my life or is my junk? Honestly, it waivers. Oh how that makes me sad to admit. When something, anything, is consuming my thinking, my conversations, my writing, my prayers...that's my stronghold. Lately it hasn't been Jesus, well, not in the ways it should be.

The LORD is the stronghold of my life.

That sentences literally means Christ is center, the fortress, the place of refuge of life, all of life, my life. If we aren't "feeling" that then we need to readjust because if there's anything I know for sure it's that Christ didn't move, we did. Somewhere along the way I apparently moved.

So, I shall stop making excuses like "I can't help it", "I know I shouldn't but...", "but what if...", "I don't want to...", "I know but..." and replace it with "God promises...", "The LORD is the stronghold of my life", "I can...", "I trust God to...".

I want Christ to be the stronghold of my life. Do you? Be honest because you're going to have strongholds...good or bad.