Your Stronghold.

2 Samuel 22:2-3

2 He said,

"The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer;

3 My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge,

My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge;

My savior, You save me from violence.

The Hebrew word for stronghold is MISGAH, and it means a high tower, a place inaccessible to the enemy, a retreat, a place of strength.

Maybe you have a place where you are at rest, safe, where you go to think or work things out. Maybe it’s your room, or your office, or another spot where you are comfortable, safe and relaxed.

This same principle applies spiritually. We are to have a fortress in our soul; a place where we can find refuge and stand strong against enemies and problems from the world. That’s exactly what the process of spiritual growth does; it builds up a structure in our soul.

Here are a couple of places where Paul talks about building up a stronghold:

Ephesians 4:12

12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ;

Ephesians 4:29

29 Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear.

This Greek word for edification is OIKODOMIA. It’s a combination of OIKO, meaning house or structure, and DOMO, which is to build. It means literally to build up a structure.

What we do as we take in God’s Word is to build up a structure in our soul, a refuge and safe place where we can escape from our problems, and make good decisions!

As frequently happens, I try to explain a point, and then find that there’s a passage that explains it a lot better than I do. This time Peter does it:

1 Peter 2:1-5

1 Therefore, putting aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander,

2 like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, (what makes us grow? It’s the pure milk of the Word of God)

3 if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord.

4 And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been rejected by men, but is choice and precious in the sight of God,

5 you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

When we take in the Word of God, it builds up a stronghold, or a safe house, in our soul. It is a way of thinking that provides us comfort and safety from our enemies. As you build up this house in your soul, you will be relaxed and confident in your decision-making, knowing that you are making the decisions from the right perspective!