relationships (Zechariah 9:1-17) Righteousness is Key

(Zechariah 9:1-17) The pronouncement of the word of the Lord is against the land of Hadrach, with Damascus as its resting place (for the eyes of mankind, especially of all the tribes of Israel, are toward the Lord),

2   And Hamath also, which borders on it;
     Tyre and Sidon, though they are very wise.
3   For Tyre built herself a fortress,
     And piled up silver like dust,
     And gold like the mud of the streets.
4   Behold, the Lord will dispossess her 
     And throw her wealth into the sea;
     And she will be consumed with fire.
5   Ashkelon will see it and be afraid.
     Gaza too will writhe in great pain;
     Also Ekron, because her hope has been ruined.
     Moreover, the king will perish from Gaza,
     And Ashkelon will not be inhabited.
6   And a people of mixed origins will live in Ashdod,
     And I will eliminate the pride of the Philistines.
7   And I will remove their blood from their mouth 
     And their detestable things from between their teeth.
     Then they also will be a remnant for our God,
     And be like a clan in Judah,
     And Ekron will be like a Jebusite.
8   But I will camp around My house because of an army,
     Because of him who passes by and returns;
     And no oppressor will pass over them anymore,
     For now I have seen with My eyes.
9   Rejoice greatly, daughter of Zion!
     Shout in triumph, daughter of Jerusalem!
     Behold, your king is coming to you;
     He is righteous and endowed with salvation,
     Humble, and mounted on a donkey,
     Even on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
10 And I will eliminate the chariot from Ephraim 
     And the horse from Jerusalem;
     And the bow of war will be eliminated.
     And He will speak peace to the nations;
     And His dominion will be from sea to sea,
     And from the Euphrates River to the ends of the earth.

11 As for you also, because of the blood of My covenant with you,
     I have set your prisoners free from the waterless pit.
12 Return to the stronghold, you prisoners who have the hope;
     This very day I am declaring that I will restore double to you.
13 For I will bend Judah as My bow,
     I will fill the bow with Ephraim.
     And I will stir up your sons, Zion, against your sons, Greece;
     And I will make you like a warrior’s sword.
14 Then the Lord will appear over them,
     And His arrow will go forth like lightning;
     And the Lord God will blow the trumpet,
     And march in the storm winds of the south.
15 The Lord of armies will protect them.
     And they will devour and trample on the slingstones;
     And they will drink and be boisterous as with wine;
     And they will be filled like a sacrificial basin,
     Drenched like the corners of the altar.
16 And the Lord their God will save them on that day 
     As the flock of His people;
     For they are like the precious stones of a crown,
     Sparkling on His land.
17 For how great will their loveliness and beauty be!
     Grain will make the young men flourish, and new wine, the virgins.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

Here is another reminder of the promise that Jesus was and is coming to earth as Israel's Messiah.  God knew that He would have to come to earth twice in flesh.  The first time He presented Himself as King, He rode in on a donkey which is a symbol of peace.  If the Israelites had accepted Jesus as their Savior, Lord and King the first time, Jesus would have set up the Millennial kingdom right away, and THEN ushered in worldwide peace.  

Israel rejected the Lord Jesus Christ the first time.  God knew this would happen, and knew that He would be crucified, which would be how He would take our place in punishment and death, and pay the price for all sin, and rise again to have victory over death.  In this way, Jesus can offer spiritual peace to all those who believe in Him, saving us from the waterless pit, as well as the wrath to come.  

The second time Jesus comes, He will come down to earth on a (war) horse to fight the battle of Armageddon, doing away with all evil nations.  He will then sit on the throne and usher in physical worldwide peace, bringing along with Him all those who become believers during the Tribulation.  Especially Israel, who will have seen the signs of His second coming (which are the judgements of those seven years).  As a nation, they will become believers, therefore they will have Jesus to help them in being obedient so that their covenants will be completely fulfilled.  

It is only in Jesus' salvation and righteousness that anyone can be reconciled to God in a personal relationship.  It is only in His strength and righteousness that we can strive to be obedient in His will.  It is only in His grace and righteousness that we are guaranteed eternal life with Him.  And it is only in the Lord's sacrificial, unconditional love and righteousness that we can be transformed, to be lovely, beautiful and flourishing, like sparkling, precious jewels of a crown.  And with this, we can enjoy the relationships of other believers, because of our shared powerful relationship with Christ, Himself!

relationships (Zechariah 8:1-23) Following Our Influencer

(Zechariah 8:1-23) Then the word of the Lord of armies came, saying, 2 “The Lord of armies says this: ‘I am exceedingly jealous for Zion, yes, with great wrath I am jealous for her.’ 3 The Lord says this: ‘I will return to Zion and dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. Then Jerusalem will be called the City of Truth, and the mountain of the Lord of armies will be called the Holy Mountain.’ 4 The Lord of armies says this: ‘Old men and old women will again sit in the public squares of Jerusalem, each person with his staff in his hand because of age. 5 And the public squares of the city will be filled with boys and girls playing in its squares.’ 6 The Lord of armies says this: ‘If it is too difficult in the sight of the remnant of this people in those days, will it also be too difficult in My sight?’ declares the Lord of armies. 7 The Lord of armies says this: ‘Behold, I am going to save My people from the land of the east and from the land of the west; 8 and I will bring them back and they will live in the midst of Jerusalem; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God in truth and righteousness.’

9 “The Lord of armies says this: ‘Let your hands be strong, you who are listening in these days to these words from the mouth of the prophets, those who spoke in the day that the foundation of the house of the Lord of armies was laid, so that the temple might be built. 10 For before those days there was no wage for man nor any wage for animal; and for him who went out or came in there was no peace because of his enemies, and I sent all the people against one another. 11 But now I will not treat the remnant of this people as in the former days,’ declares the Lord of armies. 12 ‘For there will be the seed of peace: the vine will yield its fruit, the land will yield its produce, and the heavens will provide their dew; and I will give to the remnant of this people all these things as an inheritance. 13 And it will come about that just as you were a curse among the nations, house of Judah and house of Israel, so I will save you that you may become a blessing. Do not fear; let your hands be strong.’

14 “For this is what the Lord of armies says: ‘Just as I determined to do harm to you when your fathers provoked Me to anger,’ says the Lord of armies, ‘and I have not relented, 15 so I have again determined in these days to do good to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. Do not fear! 16 These are the things which you shall do: speak the truth to one another; judge with truth and judgment for peace at your gates. 17 Also let none of you devise evil in your heart against another, and do not love perjury; for all these things are what I hate,’ declares the Lord.”

18 Then the word of the Lord of armies came to me, saying, 19 “The Lord of armies says this: ‘The fast of the fourth, the fast of the fifth, the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth months will become joy, jubilation, and cheerful festivals for the house of Judah; so love truth and peace.’

20 “The Lord of armies says this: ‘It will yet turn out that peoples will come, that is, the inhabitants of many cities. 21 The inhabitants of one city will go to another, saying, “Let’s go at once to plead for the favor of the Lord, and to seek the Lord of armies; I also will go.” 22 So many peoples and mighty nations will come to seek the Lord of armies in Jerusalem, and to plead for the favor of the Lord.’ 23 The Lord of armies says this: ‘In those days ten people from all the nations will grasp the garment of a Jew, saying, “Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.”’”

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

Nothing is too difficult for God!!!  But God wants to work with us, and work in the lives of those who love Him and have put their faith in Him.  It's interesting how people will trust the Lord with their eternal salvation, but not trust Him necessarily with the issues in their lives.  And whether issues are big or small, God wants to help us with everything.  He is obviously willing and completely able, yet He will not force Himself on us.  He wants us to go to Him and ask!  As verses 9 and 13 says, "LET your hands be strong!"  In other words, ask and allow God to work for us, in us, and through us, in His strength and wisdom.  LISTEN to God's instructions so that we can know His will and know how to pray effectively.

Even though Christianity is not about do's and don'ts, our words and actions will be the evidence of our trust and love for the Lord Jesus Christ.  Just like a kid in today's culture who, when they see an influencer that they "love", they follow them, and they listen to every single word they say, and try to do everything that they do, and even try to look like them.  Well, this should be us regarding Jesus!!!  What does Jesus say and what has He done, what does He want now, and what is He about?  I want to follow Him, know Him, and be exactly like Him!

So, what is He about?  This passage alone actually tells us a lot about the Lord!  

Because He is the Lord of armies, we can see that He already has a whole host of faithful followers (the angels)!  Not that He NEEDS them, because already being omnipotent, the Lord is more powerful than all powers put together.  But this demonstrates that He is a God of relationships, and wants to work with angels, as well as us.  Not that He NEEDS us, but He wants to save us and work with us, which gives us purpose and satisfaction.

Because He is the God of love, and He created us to love and have a relationship with us, He is exceedingly jealous when we choose to stray and follow after gods, idols, and our own deceptively destructive desires.  The Lord's wrath is against these things!  Because He is omniscient, and cares, and wants to protect us, He wants us to follow Him as our first and only "influencer"!  

The Lord is holy and righteous, and therefore hates sin and cannot have a relationship with sin, but He desires to have a close relationship with us.  This is why He came in flesh to pay the price for sin, to provide forgiveness and the way.  The Lord is also righteous and faithful, and keeps every promise that He makes.  

The Lord is the God of truth and peace.  He wants to see us living long, without fear, in His strength, wisdom, peace and joy, being productive and fruitful, as a blessing with an inheritance, speaking and practicing truth and justice, and loving one another, and in celebration, enjoying the company of each other of all ages!  In all of this, He desires that we live in such a way that others see how God is with us, so that they will also desire to seek Him and to find favor with Him in His salvation - because He is the Lord God of love and relationships!  How could we not want to follow Him and be just like Him???!!!

relationships (Zechariah 7:1-14) Unbreakable Bond

(Zechariah 7:1-14) In the fourth year of King Darius, the word of the Lord came to Zechariah on the fourth day of the ninth month, which is Chislev. 2 Now the town of Bethel had sent Sharezer and Regemmelech and their men to seek the favor of the Lord, 3 speaking to the priests who belong to the house of the Lord of armies, and to the prophets, saying, “Shall I weep in the fifth month and fast, as I have done these many years?” 4 Then the word of the Lord of armies came to me, saying, 5 “Say to all the people of the land and to the priests, ‘When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months these seventy years, was it actually for Me that you fasted? 6 And when you eat and drink, do you not eat for yourselves and drink for yourselves? 7 Are these not the words which the Lord proclaimed by the former prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and carefree along with its cities around it, and the Negev and the foothills were inhabited?’”

8 Then the word of the Lord came to Zechariah, saying, 9 “This is what the Lord of armies has said: ‘Dispense true justice and practice kindness and compassion each to his brother; 10 and do not oppress the widow or the orphan, the stranger or the poor; and do not devise evil in your hearts against one another.’ 11 But they refused to pay attention, and turned a stubborn shoulder and plugged their ears from hearing. 12 They also made their hearts as hard as a diamond so that they could not hear the Law and the words which the Lord of armies had sent by His Spirit through the former prophets; therefore great wrath came from the Lord of armies. 13 And just as He called and they would not listen, so they called and I would not listen,” says the Lord of armies; 14 “but I scattered them with a storm wind among all the nations whom they did not know. So the land was desolated behind them so that no one went back and forth, since they made the pleasant land desolate.”

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

Our obedience to God's Law, and loving God and His word, and loving others as God loves, is evidence that our hearts are right with Him.  Just going through the motions will not save us.  But in humbly putting our faith in the Lord and making Him Lord and King of our lives, He covers us with His righteousness and gives us His indwelling Holy Spirit so that we will have a desire to strive to live in His will.  And as we daily rely on His faithful love, wisdom and strength, we will be blessed as He works for us, in us, and through us.  

I know I keep saying this, but our relationship with the Lord is truly the most important thing in life.  And because it is so very easy to become self-centered and selfish and start taking God for granted, we need a daily reminder.  I mean, I could use a reminder pretty much every single minute, since it only takes a minute for me to become completely distracted and self-absorbed!  But any time that I submit to God and His direction, things work for good!  He gives me everything I need, not necessarily what a I want (or wanted).

I have been witness to this many times, and it is one of the greatest experiences ever!  Understand that we should not wait for an experience in order to navigate our steps of obedience.  It is in obedience that we will have God-sized experiences!  Therefore, as Christians grow closer to the Lord, we will grow closer to each other, with an understanding that it is not about ourselves, but about serving the Lord, each other, and others.  And as we allow the Holy Spirit to guide us, we will be unified in agreement, with an unbreakable spiritual bond, all to God's glory! 

relationships (Zechariah 6:1-15) Willing and Embracing

(Zechariah 6:1-15)  Now I raised my eyes again and looked, and behold, four chariots were going out from between the two mountains; and the mountains were bronze mountains. 2 With the first chariot were red horses, with the second chariot black horses, 3 with the third chariot white horses, and with the fourth chariot strong spotted horses. 4 So I responded and said to the angel who was speaking with me, “What are these, my lord?” 5 The angel replied to me, “These are the four spirits of heaven, going out after taking their stand before the Lord of all the earth, 6 with one of which the black horses are going out to the north country; and the white ones are to go out after them, while the spotted ones are to go out to the south country.” 7 When the strong ones went out, they were eager to go to patrol the earth. And He said, “Go, patrol the earth.” So they patrolled the earth. 8 Then He called out to me and spoke to me, saying, “See, those who are going to the land of the north have appeased My wrath in the land of the north.”

9 The word of the Lord also came to me, saying, 10 “Take an offering from the exiles, from Heldai, Tobijah, and Jedaiah; and you shall go the same day and enter the house of Josiah the son of Zephaniah, where they have arrived from Babylon.

11 Also take silver and gold, make an ornate crown, and set it on the head of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest. 12 Then say to him, ‘The Lord of armies says this: “Behold, there is a Man whose name is Branch, for He will branch out from where He is; and He will build the temple of the Lord. 13 Yes, it is He who will build the temple of the Lord, and He who will bear the majesty and sit and rule on His throne. So He will be a priest on His throne, and the counsel of peace will be between the two offices.”’ 14 Now the crown will become a reminder in the temple of the Lord to Helem, Tobijah, Jedaiah, and Hen the son of Zephaniah. 15 Those who are far away will come and build the temple of the Lord.” Then you will know that the Lord of armies has sent me to you. And it will take place if you completely obey the Lord your God.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

Jesus is the Branch, as well as King and High Priest.  As He is perfect and has paid the price for sin, those who accept His free gift of salvation and forgiveness, will be covered in His righteousness.  This is the only way one can be completely obedient.  And as all believers are the Church, as we live in obedience according to God's word, the Church will grow and spread out... in the Lord's love, strength and guidance.  It is He who builds up His children and His Church (Temple), which is not referring to a physical building but the entire family of God.  

We do not have to worry about evil, because God is also the sovereign Lord and Judge, therefore He will take care of these things.  We do not even have to worry about doing God's will - if - we are in His word, and in prayer, trusting in Him to work for us, in us, and through us.  I learned many years ago that He is faithful and able to use me in ways that go far beyond anything I might do in my own feeble attempts WHENEVER I ask God to do something FOR me!  And even with the tiniest of conversations or actions, God is able to do mighty things!  So, when we are faced with daunting tasks or directions, let us remember not to discount the impossible, because with God, all things are possible!

All God requires from us is a willing heart who consistently seeks after Him and embraces Him and everything He tells us!  There are so many awesome benefits when it comes to having a personal relationship with the Lord!  As my Savior, He protects me for eternity.  As my King, He gives me purpose.  As my Priest, He is my teacher, guide and confidant.  As He is the Branch who builds, expands and reaches out, and He has (in my salvation) grafted me into His Branch forever, His Holy Spirit nourishes me, fills me, grows me, and directs me in what I should say and do, so that I will be productive, in His love, strength and wisdom, to His glory.

relationships (Zechariah 5:1-11) Never Alone and Never Without

(Zechariah 5:1-11) Then I raised my eyes again and looked, and behold, there was a flying scroll. 2 And he said to me, “What do you see?” And I said, “I see a flying scroll; its length is twenty cubits, and its width ten cubits.” 3 Then he said to me, “This is the curse that is going forth over the face of the entire land; everyone who steals certainly will be purged away according to the writing on one side, and everyone who swears falsely will be purged away according to the writing on the other side. 4 I will make it go forth,” declares the Lord of armies, “and it will enter the house of the thief and the house of the one who swears falsely by My name; and it will spend the night within that house and destroy it with its timber and stones.”

5 Then the angel who had been speaking with me went out and said to me, “Now raise your eyes and see what this is that is going forth.” 6 And I said, “What is it?” Then he said, “This is the ephah going forth.” Again he said, “This is their appearance in all the land. 7 And behold, a lead cover was lifted up.” He continued, “And this is a woman sitting inside the ephah.” 8 Then he said, “This is Wickedness!” And he thrust her into the middle of the ephah and threw the lead weight on its opening. 9 Then I raised my eyes and looked, and there two women were coming out with the wind in their wings; and they had wings like the wings of the stork, and they lifted up the ephah between the earth and the heavens. 10 So I said to the angel who was speaking with me, “Where are they taking the ephah?” 11 Then he said to me, “To build a temple for her in the land of Shinar; and when it is prepared, she will be set there on her own pedestal.”

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

Evil begets evil.  Because God is love, He has created everyone with a free will.  Therefore, He will not force anyone to love Him back.  And He will not force anyone to be obedient, not even those who love Him.  And what is love without options, or the freedom to act upon one's choices.  

God is sovereign, just and fair, therefore He thwarts evil to some extent right now.  In the Tribulation, He will remove the One who restrains evil, so evil will increase.  But then, at the end of those seven years, He will return and rid the earth of all evil.  During His thousand year reign, there will be peace and immediate justice.  At the end of the Millennium, all unbelievers will be judged according to their sins.  Because they rejected the Lord's salvation and didn't want God in their lives, they will be separated from God and His goodness for eternity. 

We can be confident that the sovereign Lord is in control, and oversees everything, giving everyone a fair opportunity to come to Him for forgiveness and salvation.  And while the Lord allows certain things to happen, He is able to use tragic events to accomplish His will, and bring about good things.  We can see throughout history that when catastrophes happen, many people will see their need for salvation!

As for believers, even though all of our sins have been forgiven and we are sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, we will still struggle with our sin nature.  And while we cannot lose our salvation, because the Lord loves and cares for us, and has a better way and purpose for our lives, He will allow us to experience consequences when we sin, in order to get our attention and draw us back to Him.  The Lord will also allow us to go through tests and trials.so that as we trust and rely on Him, we will see how faithful, good and mighty He is.  Going through these challenges helps us grow in our confidence and faith in the Lord.

All of this is - because - God desires that we have a close, personal relationship with Him, where we work together with Him!  Even in the things that He asks of us, God doesn't expect us to do these things on our own.  In fact, He doesn't want us to do these things on our own, in our own strength, otherwise this is all just an empty religion of do's and don'ts!  It all comes back to the main purpose of having and enjoying a relationship with God!  And when we get to heaven, because all our sins have been forgiven, we will be judged and rewarded according to the good deeds we have done with right motives, which are deeds done with God, in His love, strength and righteousness, and to His glory!

relationships (Zechariah 4:1-14) True Family

(Zechariah 4:1-14) Then the angel who had been speaking with me returned and woke me, like a person who is awakened from his sleep. 2 And he said to me, “What do you see?” And I said, “I see, and behold, a lampstand all of gold with its bowl on the top of it, and its seven lamps on it with seven spouts belonging to each of the lamps which are on the top of it; 3 also two olive trees by it, one on the right side of the bowl and the other on its left side.” 4 Then I said to the angel who was speaking with me, saying, “What are these, my lord?” 5 So the angel who was speaking with me answered and said to me, “Do you not know what these are?” And I said, “No, my lord.” 6 Then he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel, saying, ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the Lord of armies. 7 ‘What are you, you great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become a plain; and he will bring out the top stone with shouts of “Grace, grace to it!”’”

8 Also the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 9 “The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house, and his hands will finish it. Then you will know that the Lord of armies has sent me to you. 10 For who has shown contempt for the day of small things? But these seven will rejoice when they see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel—they are the eyes of the Lord roaming throughout the earth.”

11 Then I said to him, “What are these two olive trees on the right of the lampstand and on its left?” 12 And I responded the second time and said to him, “What are the two olive branches which are beside the two golden pipes, which empty the golden oil from themselves?” 13 So he answered me, saying, “Do you not know what these are?” And I said, “No, my lord.” 14 Then he said, “These are the two anointed ones, who are standing by the Lord of the whole earth.”

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

People were showing contempt, comparing the current temple to the former exquisite temple that king Solomon had built, without knowing or understanding God's plans for the future.  People often consider small things as insignificant.  But with God, He can use the smallest to do great and mighty and awesome things!  Anything done in the Lord's will, in HIs strength, to His glory, is a reason to rejoice.  

Another point to all of this is that just like the temple, the church is "just" a building.  The Church is actually the collection of all God's people.  Whoever is a true believer - which is someone who is a child of God and has a personal relationship with Him - is part of this spiritual family, united in Spirit, with God as our heavenly Father.  Every true believer, at the point of being saved, receives the Lord's indwelling Holy Spirit of promise!  Therefore, with willing hearts, as we ask and allow, God is able to work in us and through us.

Just like the two witnesses mentioned in verse 6, all true witnessing must be done in the power of the Spirit.  We all have the privilege of serving the Lord and being His witnesses, but we will only be effective if we do everything in God's love, wisdom and strength.  And verse 6 sums it up nicely, "Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit," says the Lord of armies.

relationship (Zechariah 2:1-13) Always In Our Midst

(Zechariah 2:1-13) Then I raised my eyes and looked, and behold, there was a man with a measuring line in his hand. 2 So I said, “Where are you going?” And he said to me, “To measure Jerusalem, to see how wide it is and how long it is.” 3 And behold, the angel who had been speaking with me was going out, and another angel was going out to meet him. 4 And he said to him, “Run, speak to that young man there, saying, ‘Jerusalem will be inhabited as open country because of the multitude of people and cattle within it. 5 But I,’ declares the Lord, ‘will be a wall of fire to her on all sides, and I will be the glory in her midst.’”

6 “You there! Flee from the land of the north,” declares the Lord, “because I have spread you out like the four winds of the heavens,” declares the Lord. 7 “You, Zion! Escape, you who are living with the daughter of Babylon.” 8 For the Lord of armies says this: “After glory He has sent me against the nations that plunder you, for the one who touches you, touches the apple of His eye. 9 For behold, I am going to wave My hand over them so that they will be plunder for their slaves. Then you will know that the Lord of armies has sent Me. 10 Shout for joy and rejoice, daughter of Zion; for behold I am coming and I will dwell in your midst,” declares the Lord. 11 “And many nations will join themselves to the Lord on that day and will become My people. Then I will dwell in your midst, and you will know that the Lord of armies has sent Me to you. 12 And the Lord will possess Judah as His portion in the holy land, and will again choose Jerusalem.

13 “Be silent, all mankind, before the Lord; for He has roused Himself from His holy dwelling.”

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

This scripture is prophetic and applies to the nation of Israel.  The first time the Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah) came to dwell in Israel's midst, they rejected and crucified Him.  God knew this was to happen, and He allowed it to happen in order to pay the price for sin.  Jesus rose again to have victory over death so that anyone who believers in Him, will be saved from eternal death... as well as the Tribulation.

The second time Jesus comes to earth will be after Israel as a nation sees the signs (the judgements of the Tribulation), realizing that He was and is their Messiah, they as a nation will believe.  At the very end of the Jewish Age, Jesus will return.  Doing away with all evil, He will take Israel, and everyone else who became believers during the Tribulation, into the Millennial kingdom that He will set up.  Jesus will physically live in their midst!  He will usher in a time of peace that lasts a thousand years.  THIS is when people will be able to have "opened borders".  This will be a period of time that will be very much like the "Garden of Eden".

Therefore, this scripture isn't directing a country to have open borders, which allows criminals and terrorists to freely flow in and move about.  If you believe this is right, then you should be keeping all of your doors and windows unlocked and opened, for anyone to enter your house and live there.  We are to take a stand with justice;  NOT to take the side of the criminal, but be on the side for the victims, the weak and the vulnerable, the orphans and the widows (Proverbs 17:15).

For physical protection, people everywhere have always tried building walls around their personal dwellings, their castles, towns and land.  For emotional protection, people will build walls around their hearts.  For both the physical and the emotional, after a traumatic or hurtful event, these walls can become very big and unhealthy.  This doesn't mean that we throw caution to the wind, since God tells us to be wise - prudent - to escape evil (Proverbs 22:23), and to guard our hearts in order to keep God's words and live by them (Proverbs 4:20-27).  Above, verses 6 and 7 tell Israel to flee and escape the nations who practice evil (which is pre-Millennial).

While, our hearts, our lives, and our homes should be very open and receptive to the Lord, His calling, and His purpose for our lives, in all things (physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually), we are to take refuge in the Lord (Psalm 18:2, 46:1, 91:2, Nahum 1:7).  The Lord is not only able, but He tells us to do this!  

As verse 5 says, when the Lord is in our midst, He will be like an all-encompassing wall of fire, and we can behold and enjoy His glory.  As Christians, as soon as we put our faith in the Lord, receiving His forgiveness and salvation, we receive His indwelling Holy Spirit, so that He is always "in our midst", faithfully guiding us, shaping, helping, healing, comforting, equipping, protecting and providing for us... 

(Psalm 136:1-3)

1  Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,
    For His faithfulness is everlasting.
2  Give thanks to the God of gods,
    For His faithfulness is everlasting.
3  Give thanks to the Lord of lords,
    For His faithfulness is everlasting.