Christ Leads The Way

” May there be peace within your walls, prosperity within your fortresses.” – Psalm 122:7

Thank God it’s the weekend. And thank God for you. I know some of my posts have been a bit off lately and a show of the distorted thinking that my mental illnesses cause. Sometimes my thought process is not so rational – especially when I’m fighting with medication concerns. Some of you have reached out to me to check on me and my mental well-being. Thanks for that. A lot of what goes on in my head is the stuff that dreams are made of: imagination. I have to be reminded that it’s not true and merely fabrications of an injured mind. I don’t have  to try to make sense of it.

My therapist tells me about a woman who struggles with mental illness, like me. Every time she sees a truck from the Power company, she thinks that it’s someone spying on her or plotting to hurt her. She even sometimes sees utility trucks that aren’t there because, and she sees and says things that aren’t true at all. It’s all imagined. He does not use  that woman’s experience as an illustration only, but he provides it as an example for me to see how my mental health condition is serious and that others experience it as well. Nobody can really know or understand how the mind works or presume to know what goes on in a person’s head.

That’s why to the entire family of mine, I am so very deeply sorry for the burden that my mental illness has placed on you individually and collectively. I have no control over the things that my mind imagines up or the things that it sets me up to say. I know that it’s difficult to understand, but I’m doing my best to fight it. Thank you for your love and support, despite all of my mental health challenges. The enemy cannot win. We can fight this thing together. I love you with all my heart, and I will honor you.

Now, I’ve been thinking some about a message I heard awhile ago about walls in the Bible. I can’t remember everything that was in that message, but it raised some questions. So I did some study on it.

Walls are important. They are all around us. They are sometimes physical walls, and there are also invisible walls that we put into place as boundaries. Most people go to be with no worries, locking their doors. And most people expect that no one will overstep their boundaries and respect them as human beings.

The walls of our homes protect us from the elements. They also provide a sense of safety and privacy, for many. When we close doors to a room, we are walled-in, and intend that no one will enter or impose themselves upon us while inside those walls. To an extent, walls protect us.

Yes, there are some who invade the physical walls that we have around us and break-in, or cross the boundary walls that we enforce for respect of our being. But burglars, robbers, thieves, ungodly people, and sociopaths, alike, are outnumbered by those who understand the purpose of walls and by those who respect others’ boundaries.

“And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest; for you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways, to give knowledge of salvation to His people
by the remission of their sins.” – Luke 1:76-77

The study of walls in the Bible is quite interesting. Salvation is referred to as a wall (Isaiah 60:18). It’s very fitting, because the salvation that Christ offers protects us from eternal damnation. It is His truth and His teachings that lead us to salvation (Psalm 25:5). And His salvation is forever (Isaiah 51:6). That’s the kind of wall that I want in my life. It’s the wall that I have, and it’s that wall that pushes me more and more towards heaven when I want to give up. You, too, can have the wall of Christ’s salvation that secures you a home in heaven with Him.

“Violence will never again be heard of in your land;
devastation and destruction
will be gone from your borders.
But you will name your walls salvation
and your gates, praise.” – Isaiah 60:18

Another thing that I noticed is that walls in the Bible always were a sign of blessings and success (Ezra 9:9). And whenever a nation’s walls collapsed or were penetrated by enemies, the entire city was destroyed (Deuteronomy 3:5-7; Joshua 6:20-21). A nation unfortified, without walls or with broken walls, portrays a sign of defeat (Jeremiah 51:44).

“A man who does not control his temper is like a city whose wall is broken down.” – Proverbs 25:28

Walls protected the Israelites from their enemies (Nehemiah 4:15; 6:1-2). When ungodly people see walls, they become frightened because they know that the walls are meant to keep people like them out and to keep peace within them. Those kinds of people force themselves into the purposely-placed walls and cause great harm.

A city having broken walls is likened to a man who does not control his temper. And it’s the quick-tempered man that acts foolishly (Prov. 14:17). James describes a person who cannot control their tongue as unruly (James 3:8). And a man’s anger does not produce the righteousness (or goodness) of God (James 1:19-20). So, with the parallel, in the Bible, we see how a nation without walls is foolish and can be unruly and bring about things that are not good.

“He said to him, ‘Run and tell this young man: Jerusalem will be inhabited without walls because of the number of people and livestock in it.’ The declaration of the Lord: ‘I will be a wall of fire around it, and I will be the glory within it.’” – Zechariah 2:4-5

Lastly, the Lord God is a wall for His people (Zechariah 2:4-5). He is our protector, our fence, our shield (Psalm 3:3). Within His walls reside His glory, His honor, and all His awesomeness.

That’s exactly where I want to be – surrounded by the wall of the Lord, the wall of His salvation, and the wall that is His church, destined for a home in heaven (Rev. 21:12; 14, 17-21).

Is your soul secure within the walls of the Lord? If not, He can put you inside His walls,  and protect you from the evil one. When you believe that Jesus is the Christ, confess that He is to others, repent of your sins, and are baptized for the forgiveness of your sins, the Lord will add you to His church (Acts 2). There you will be protected by the wall of His salvation. He’s done it for me; He can do it for you, too.

“In Your good pleasure, cause Zion to prosper;
build the walls of Jerusalem.” – Psalm 51:18

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