What? Keeping in my keep? I don’t even know if I have one! You do. The Bible talks about it in Psalm 18:2…
The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.
That high tower–called a keep in medieval times–was the stronghold, the most fortified part, of a castle. It was the place where one was considered to be beyond the reach of danger.
The Lord is our high tower. Psalm 18:3 says, “I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.”
Think of that old castle. It’s built for safety. In order for the enemy to overthrow it, all kinds of fortifications would have to be breached.
First, the moat filled with water was there for a surrounding ring of protection. Ephesians 5:26 tells us that “the washing of water by the word” protects us by cleansing and sanctifying us. Is your moat brimful? Are you spending time reading God’s Word?
Another safety measure in the castle was the drawbridge which could be pulled up at a moment’s notice if the lookout saw the enemy approaching. We need to be sensitive to the voice of the Holy Spirit and pull up short when He calls out, “Danger, dange r! Draw close to Me!”
If the enemy were able to cross the drawbridge, the gatehouse would become his prison as the bars of the portcullis entrapped him. The Psalmist might have thought of this when he said of Jerusalem: “For he [God] hath strengthened the bars of thy gates; he hath blessed thy children within thee. He maketh peace in thy borders….”Psa 147:13-14
Then, beyond the gatehouse, in the courtyard of the castle, were the soldiers standing faithful guard duty. Praise the Lord for godly friends who will help protect us from the world, the flesh, and the devil!
I don’t know about you, but to me this is sounding like a pretty safe place to be! This Rock, this Fortress, our Lord!
And where are we? In our High Tower–our Keep–the safest place of all–near to the heart of God.
A mighty Fortress is our God,
A Bulwark never failing;
Our Helper He amid the flood
Of mortal ills prevailing:….
Dost ask who that may be?
Christ Jesus, it is He;
Lord Sabaoth His Name,
From age to age the same,
And He must win the battle.
Jerrie Homan