The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my strength, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
- Psalm 18:1-2
Rock. Fortress. Deliverer. These all feel like sturdy words assuring me that when I take refuge in the love of God, I will find something steady and sure. God’s love has SO often been like a shield from the storms and lies that sometimes assail me like arrows in a battle. When I started singing this verse, all of these images brought me such comfort, but then I got to the raised horn and I started to wonder what on earth that really meant….so I looked it up.
The raised horn is commonly a biblical symbol for victory, but especially of being rescued from oppression. I love knowing this. I see Jesus doing this for people all the time in scripture, whether it’s freeing literal slaves, or freeing someone from their sickness, their sadness, their loneliness , or their pride. God is a freedom-giver, and I’m so grateful that “I’m no longer a slave to fear”( like that beautiful song says) because over time God has helped me replace every fear that comes up for me with a deep breathe and the truth that His love is bigger and stronger than any fear I ever face. Whatever fears you are facing today, I pray that as you listen to me sing this over you, you’ll breathe deep and believe that God is with you in this moment. He is your stronghold, so you can rest assured that you can fall apart in his arms.