The Walls of Salvation

UV 1677/10000 The Walls of Salvation
And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places;
Isaiah 32 v 18

Stephen Covey wrote of the power of principles: it gives wisdom, guidance, security and power. But principles should not be man-made or given by man, plumbing his own finite knowledge and wisdom. Only a true and eternal Prince of Peace can give the principles of righteousness. Indeed, the work of righteousness is peace and the effect of righteousness is quietness and assurance forever. The people who are saved by their faith in the Prince of Peace, Jesus are declared “righteous” by the Lord and His Word. Jesus rules by giving us peace. By virtue of our faith, we inherit the right to dwell in peaceful homes and in secure dwelling places. The power of righteousness manifested in Jesus works quietly in us to give us a sense of confidence, security and assurance.

Yet fact remains that fifty per cent of homes of believers are riven by divorce, conflicts and break downs. The homes of people are the favourite haunt of the enemy. He is the anaconda of deceit and attacks us in a variety of ways to destroy the peace, rob us of our sense of quiet assurance in the Lord, to kill our faith. Since marriage is the only covenant between man and woman that reflects the relationship between Christ and the church, it is the focus of attack of this anaconda. He is the prince of strife who rules by creating conflict and strife. He can manifest as arguments, disputes, conflicts, ego clashes, discontentment, adultery. The best leaders and managers of the world are defeated on their home ground and they cave in quite tamely even while they are hailed as heroes and champions in the public domain. Take the example of John F Kennedy, Bill Clinton and so many others. Every day we need to slay this anaconda who seeks to crush us. Much of the conflict in our homes are over a power struggle or an ego clash between the husband and the wife as to whose writ should run in the home. Scripture predicts this struggle in the book of Genesis: “ Thou shall desire to rule over your husband and he shall rule over you.” If we accept that Jesus is the head of our homes and we are co-equal partners, the source of these conflicts would cease. Jesus in response to our prayers will erect a strong fencing, a secure perimeter around the four corners of our homes- the Word, prayer, fellowship and worship. Sorrow and sighing shall flee away from our homes. Salvation shall be our walls and praise shall be our gates. The promises of the Lord are the bricks in the walls of salvation. The commands and principles and precepts of the Word are the mortar that holds the bricks together. We shall be surrounded by different manifestations of the promised salvation and we shall continually offer praise and thanksgiving with grateful and joyful hearts to the Lord. When the walls of salvation and the gates of praise are in place as they should be, no anaconda can enter or attack our homes. No wild beast or roaring lion or evil can roam in our homes. As a consequence, we can dwell therein with no fear and complete safety.

The Lord promises to build our homes with sapphire, carbuncle and precious stones. These are metaphors for the spiritual treasures with which our homes are built on the rock of faith. Our homes shall be a quiet resting place, guarded by angels. They are tabernacles of the Lord whose stakes cannot be taken down by anyone, whose foundation is secure and unshakeable. We shall rejoice in our tabernacles in the presence of the Lord.
Prateep V Philip