April 4, 2001

Reading: Nahum 2:1-4

 

“Hold the fort! Watch the road! Strengthen your flanks! Fortify your power mightily” (1)

 

While these directives were given to Ninevah in the light of God’s judgment on them, they are equally applicable to the children of God. As God’s people, the judgment of God is not imminent upon us, in fact , it is not anywhere in our future during time or eternity, “For there is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus” (Rom: 8:1). We rejoice in the reality that the judgment due us was borne by our Savior on the cross.

There is however, in a very real sense, the need for us to “Hold the fort! Watch the road! Strengthen your flanks!” and “Fortify your power mightily”. Our enemy is very real and unless we are on guard at all times we will find he is very capable at winning battles in our life. The war has been won by Christ but the enemy is still breathing and is looking for every opportunity to win skirmishes against us.

I think of William the Conqueror who invaded England in 1066. He defeated Harold, king of England, and on Christmas Day, 1066, was crowned King of England in Westminster Cathedral. He had won the war and wore the crown to prove it, but many groups of Englishmen refused to accept his victory and rulership and they caused havoc among King William’s troops for many years. They would lie in wait in the forests and pounce on the Normans as they passed by. Even though the Saxons (Englishmen) won many of the skirmishes, it did not affect the kingship of William. He was still king and one thousand years later his descendants still rule England.

How descriptive of the battles we face in our Christian life. Christ has won the war and sits victorious in heaven, His enemies under His feet, but we still face skirmishes from the defeated enemy. Satan is a sore loser and still seeks to cause havoc among God’s people. In the light of this, Christian Brother and Sister, “Hold the fort! Watch the road! Strengthen your flanks! Fortify your power mightily!”

These things don’t just happen, they require effort and work. David loved to refer to God as His Fortress, “You are my rock and my fortress; Therefore, for Your name’s sake, lead me and guide me” (Ps:31:3). “I will say of the LORD, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust” (Ps: 91:2). How do we then “hold the fort, etc”? We trust Him to lead and guide us, but we must not forget the next step, and that is to follow His leading and guidance. There is no sense asking the Lord to guide us if we are not willing to follow Him when He does!

Watch the road! How many roads have we followed only to realize it was the wrong one? If we trust Him we can be sure He will never lead us down the wrong one.

Strengthen your flanks! Christian friendship and fellowship is so important. Even Moses needed the help of friends, “And Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun” (Ex: 17:12).

Fortify your power mightily! “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you” (Acts 1:8). The Holy Spirit and God’s power are frequently referred to (1 Cor: 2:4-5) and it is only as we yield to Him that we can fortify our power mightily.