"What Is A Bulwark?"

He has no relatives in this area, no friends, no possessions and no where to sleep…

…and it’s freezing cold outside!

I asked him if he could return to Mississippi?

“No,” was his dismal reply.

“My family don’t want me.”

It was so sad.

I could see that he was a good kid.

But I could also see that he needs a refuge, a protection and support from the cruel world around him.

After some more conversation, I asked him what had happened between he and his mother, “She drinks,” was his reply.

“Where’s your father?” I asked.

“Oh, He’s in Mississippi too.”

“Does he live with your mom?” I asked…almost knowing the answers to my questions before I asked…

“No, they split up.”

“Well can you get a hold of him? Can he help you out?”

“Naw, he does drugs and stuff.”

By the grace of God I was able to get him out of the cold and into a shelter so that he wouldn’t freeze to death.

It’s so sad…

…so sad.

And his situation is not unusual.

It’s starting to seem like the norm!

How did we get ourselves into such a mess?

How can parents…adults…families…fellow members of the human race…treat each other like human waste?

This boy, this boy’s parents, this boy’s girlfriend…and millions upon millions of others…

…in fact, the entire human race cannot survive in this cruel and hate-filled world without the support and protection of God.

God’s love for us doesn’t falter…

…no matter how many bad turns we have made in life, or no matter how resistant we have been to the change which comes through a personal relationship with God through faith in Christ.

“Here I am!” declares Jesus Christ in Revelation Chapter 3.

“I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.”

God is right here with us at all times…

…He has a call on each of our lives.

He longs to rescue us, to save us, to give us confidence, to give us hope and salvation.

He longs to live inside our hearts and share an intimate relationship with each one of us.

He knocks…but we must listen…and we must be willing to trust Him… to open ourselves up to Him…to allow Him to be our Rock, our Refuge, our Fortress, our Deliverer, our Hope!

Our ancient foe is crafty.

And we are no match for him on our own.

That’s why we are so blind to God’s love (which is perfect reality), and so easily enticed by the lies of this world and led astray by sick and twisted fantasy.

God loves us unconditionally…rich or poor, black or white, educated or not, pretty or ugly, we are all so immeasurably important in His sight.

The writer of this Psalm knows this, and in his prayer he is basically just asking God to continue to be Himself…

…the “rock of refuge to which” he can always go.

We humans are so blessed.

And it’s so easy to forget this…or miss it all together…which is the greatest tragedy of all!!!

It is God’s nature to save us, to rescue us…

…for He is a Bulwark Never Failing!

Let us pray: Sovereign Lord, You are the Rock of refuge no matter how uncertain the times we live in become. Enable us to run to You, to trust You, to be delivered and protected by You, and never to be put to shame. In Jesus’ name and for His sake we pray. Amen.