The walls are necessary

My victory and honor come from God alone. He is my refuge, a rock where no enemy can reach me. (Psalm 62:7)

While attacks will come, there is no greater way to settle our emotions than to remember God is our immediate and long-term refuge. The most important thing we can remember when under attack by the enemy of our souls is that NO enemy can reach us when we seek refuge in him. We aren't going to avoid attack, but we don't have to face it without protection! I have been high up in the mountains, enjoying the serenity of a cool stream and stirring sounds of nature, all the while 'out of reach' to anyone. The cell towers just don't reach those remote places yet! God's protection is more than 'being out of contact', though. It is a definite 'place' of protection. The walled cities of olden days are no longer, but there was a lesson to be learned there. Those walls actually provided protection from whatever was on the outside trying to get in. We might need to do a better job of setting up our defenses so what is 'outside' our lives that is 'trying to get in' isn't successful. We do that by developing this deep, intimate relationship with Jesus.

An outsider could have found 'protection' within the walls of the fortified cities, but they didn't 'live there'. They didn't enjoy the security of knowing their defenses were in place all year round. They just found themselves in the right place and the right time. God wants more for us than to find ourselves in the right place at the right time, though. He wants us to learn to dwell within the protection of his presence, purpose, and provision. Those walls protected more than the people - they also protected the stored food, housing, and livestock. They were meant to 'keep secure' all that was inside them. God's intent is to 'keep secure' all who seek refuge in him. That means we run to him in times of trouble, but also that we find ourselves abiding there when all is well within our lives. The walls were there in good times and bad. The attack may not be immanent in our lives today, but we want to be sure we are right where we need to be to enjoy the highest degree of defensive protection when it does come. Just sayin!

Warning, Will Rogers!

“When the Lord your God goes ahead of you and destroys the nations and you drive them out and live in their land, do not fall into the trap of following their customs and worshiping their gods. Do not inquire about their gods, saying, ‘How do these nations worship their gods? I want to follow their example.’ You must not worship the Lord your God the way the other nations worship their gods, for they perform for their gods every detestable act that the Lord hates. They even burn their sons and daughters as sacrifices to their gods. (Deuteronomy 12:29-31)

When God took Israel into the Promised Land, he gave these instructions, but what makes them so important for us to keep in mind today? The first instruction we see here is really one of understanding the 'extreme protection' that exists for a child of God. God - the Lord your God - goes ahead of us to drive out our enemy and his evil forces. The place for God in battle is ahead of us, not alongside or behind us. When God is given his rightful place in our lives, the enemy scatters - he cannot exist where the holiness of God presides!

Secondly, there is to be an active 'resistance' of the enemy in our lives - we are to be 'driving him out', not just allowing him to lollygag around us. There is an 'aggressiveness' pictured here - we aren't passive in our beliefs, but rather aggressive in our pursuit. What happens when there is passivity in our walk? We get caught up in the enemy's ploys - we 'blend in' rather than standing out. God has always asked his children to 'stand out' - we live in this world, but we don't become like this world. We don't adopt beliefs and practices that God clearly tells us to avoid.

Third, we must learn to not question God's authority or position in our lives. When God told them to not inquire about their unholy worship practices, it was because he knew there would be a pull toward other 'authorities'. Truth be told, we are constantly being 'sold a bill of goods' when it comes to what Satan wants us to believe about who he is, how he acts, and what his purposes are in this world. He wants to convince us God isn't 'enough' - that we need something more, different, or better - that God is somehow keeping us from enjoying stuff. Don't embrace the lies - this is what God is trying to tell us.

Lastly, God never asks for us to 'perform for him'. He desires a sincerity of relationship - be honest with him, be open to him, and be in love with him. When these things exist in our lives, there is no room for 'performance' - genuine relationship replaces the need to 'perform'. God wants us safe, but we guard against wandering into beliefs and practices that take us away from that place of ultimate safety. We don't 'guard alone', though. We have been given his Word as a weapon, his Spirit as a tutor and guide, and his presence as a place of refuge when needed. Just sayin!

Unscathed and Safe

So watch your step, friends. Make sure there’s no evil unbelief lying around that will trip you up and throw you off course, diverting you from the living God. For as long as it’s still God’s Today, keep each other on your toes so sin doesn’t slow down your reflexes. If we can only keep our grip on the sure thing we started out with, we’re in this with Christ for the long haul. (Hebrews 3:12-14)

If someone were to tell me to "watch my step" I suddenly become very cautious about where I find my footing. Some things are just harder than others; some might catch us a little unaware. Sometimes we might get a little bunged up along the way - but trust me, it usually is not because we lacked the warnings! We likely just didn't heed them! God's plan is not to trip us up or wear us out on the journey, but to bring us to our next destination "unscathed" and "safe"! Satan doesn't want heaven filled - he wants hell filled! He wants companions in his eternal misery and doom - not a one of us escapes his attempts to trip us up or bring discouragement in our journey. "Misery loves company" - no one wants to really endure doom and gloom all by themselves! If we know there might just be some "unevenness" meant to trip us up - giving all manner of a lack of predictability to our journey - we might just prepare for the journey, be on alert as we travel this path, and be sensitive to the warnings posted!

God doesn't put obstacles in our way - he removes them! When we face obstacles in our path, it is either because we have put them there ourselves, or we are being challenged by the hosts of hell to not make the journey successfully. How do we put obstacles in our own path? It really isn't all that hard. We might not prepare for the journey ahead, thinking we can just launch out into the unknown. Preparation means we align our hearts and minds with the heart and mind of Christ - we get with him on the matter at hand, allowing him to point us in the right direction. There is a difference between asking for advice and then asking for direction. One is optional, the other gets us to the destination! Sometimes I think we treat God's warnings as "advice" rather than as imperatives in our lives - but whenever we do, we usually encounter some issue within the path!

The whole purpose of the challenge is to divert us from God - it is a detour. The detour he plans is designed to get us so off track we are basically lost in the process. The whole purpose of pathway challenges (according to God) is to grow us up in our dependence upon him to protect, provide, and promote us. He points out the hazards, reminding us to "watch our steps" - allowing him to "order" them - in order to protect us. He also desires to provide for us - keeping us well in the journey and focused on what is best for us in the process. All in all, he desires to "promote" us to a higher level of both dependence upon him and closeness to his heart. In turn, we become stronger men and women, exemplifying the character of Christ more and more with each step.

Sin's little compromises are the small pebbles we stumble upon - but we almost always are looking for the huge rocks in our path. The smallest pebble can turn the most unsuspecting ankle, causing unnecessary pain and suffering! We don't want to focus only on the big stuff in our path. We want to be aware of both. Most importantly, we want to help each other out with this "alertness" to the hazards in our path. This is what some refer to as holding each other accountable. In the most literal sense, it is one watching the steps of another, being alert to the smallest hazards, as well as the glaring boulders! We often don't see the little hazards - for we focus too far ahead in the path. One walking alongside can see the place we are about to walk better than we sometimes can - heeding their warning is often the very thing we need the most!

We all start out this Christian walk with the same "stuff" for the journey. God doesn't "slight" any of us and then "embellish" someone else. He loves all equally and unconditionally. He provides for all equally and abundantly. He responds to all equally and with absolute authority. The path may be different - but our provision and source are the same. I cannot overlook the importance of "companions" in this journey. No man or woman is truly an island unto themselves. We might think we can walk alone but trust me on this - I have tried it and it doesn't work. I need the one next to me in this journey! I need their constant reminders and their warnings. In fact, God put them there just for this purpose - so why not embrace their presence as a provision directly from the hand of God? Just sayin!