A Mighty Fortress

I stood in awe, the enormity, and beauty overwhelming me.  Then I heard the statistics—the nave is ten stories high, the center tower is as tall as a thirty-story building, the heaviest stone is 5.5 tons, and it is only one of 762 elaborately hand-carved stones in Washington DC’s National Cathedral.  As I stood there I dreamed about seeing the five other, even larger, cathedrals of the world, and I wondered how the first temple built by Solomon in Jerusalem might have looked.  How it must have inspired God’s people to sing praises to God, as this place was now influencing me.

The visible fortifications surrounding the people of Jerusalem were a symbol of her unseen defense—the presence of God.  Like this song of Zion, which praises God as the Ruler and Defender of the holy city, we too can look on the great and mighty acts of God.  As we take in the beauty of the natural wonders of this world, the magnificent creations of mankind, and the power of God displayed in even the tiniest of chapels or the most fragile of all—the heart of man—we join with the psalmist and sing, “God is in its fortresses; he reveals himself as its defender” (Psalm 48:3).

PRAYER: Sing today for the joy and security His presence provides. 

“We have thought of thy lovingkindness, O God, in the midst of thy temple,” Psalm 48:9 KJV.

Cheri Cowell, a student at Asbury Theological Seminary (Orlando), writes and speaks on the deep questions of faith.  Her first book—Direction: Discernment for the Decisions of Your Life (Beacon Hill)—is a biblically sound, no nonsense approach to making God-centered life choices.  For comments or to inquire about her speaking schedule, visit www.DirectionAndDiscernment.com