20 I know that you will surely be king and that the kingdom of Israel will be established

in your hands. 21 Now swear to me by the Lord that you will not kill off my descendants

or wipe out my name from my father’s family.” 22 So David gave his oath to Saul. Then

Saul returned home, but David and his men went up to the stronghold.

This April, my wife, daughter and one of our young adults from Immanuel traveled to

Phoenix, Arizona for Spring Break. If you have never been to Phoenix (this was our first

time) it is an amazing desert region with some of the most beautiful scenery that

America has to offer. If you have been to Phoenix then you know what I’m talking about.

When we first arrived in this desert paradise, we hit the ground running and started

hiking and climbing and exploring…it was more than our eyes (and legs) could take in.

Our favorite hike was actually our first which the locals call “Echo Canyon Trail” on

Camelback Mountain. The trail rating is “hard” which certainly stokes the ego, but one

quickly learns that this trail is not for the faint of heart. On some parts of the hike, park

rangers cemented metal pipe and rails into the face of the mountain to assist climbers in

some of the more treacherous sections. But here’s the thought that washes over you

when you make it to the top… “No one can get to me up here!” It is a stronghold…a

safe place…a sanctuary.

David had a similar refuge. In fact, some believe that David’s stronghold mentioned in 1

Samuel 24 is the historic “Masada Fortress” on the eastern edge of the Judaean desert

in Israel. David’s stronghold would have been a place of sanctuary, safety and rest.

Once in the stronghold, David could take off his armor, set aside his sword and detach

his mind from the burdens of his day. In this, David sets an example for every

believer…we all need a stronghold.



Remember that little Friar I mentioned on Monday? Martin Luther? Well, after he

refused to recant his belief in salvation by faith alone, like David, he fled to a stronghold.

In fact, he was kept in hiding under the protection of Duke Frederick of Saxony at The

Castle of Wartburg where he wrote the hymn “A Mighty Fortress is our God.” Today, our

enemies are not flesh and blood (Ephesians 6:10-20) and our stronghold is not made of

brick or mountain. Our stronghold is God, Himself, (Psalm 46) in which we are called to

return each day to find our strength, safety and peace.

Q: How often do you return to God, your stronghold? (For more, meditate on Psalm 46

and Google “A Mighty Fortress is our God.”

Jimmy Carter