Our God Is Our Mighty Fortress
Kris Ylioja | The Voice of Zion October 2026 - The Sabbath Word 4 --
Therefore thus saith the Lord, If thou return, then will I bring thee again, and thou shalt stand before me: and if thou take forth the precious from the vile, thou shalt be as my mouth: let them return unto thee; but return not thou unto them. And I will make thee unto this people a fenced brasen wall: and they shall fight against thee, but they shall not prevail against thee: for I am with thee to save thee and to deliver thee, saith the Lord. And I will deliver thee out of the hand of the wicked, and I will redeem thee out of the hand of the terrible. – Jeremiah 15:19–21
Our text speaks of repentance, following God’s instructions and allowing His will to be done, and that faith should be the most important matter in this life. God’s promise to help a repentant sinner is sure and everlasting, even in the midst of our earthly trials and temptations.
Jeremiah was called by God to preach repentance to the people of Judah, who had fallen into many sinful ways. The book of Jeremiah relates how Jeremiah did not immediately agree to this duty, but God spoke with him to strengthen him. Jeremiah then obediently went and performed that which he was instructed to do.
In Jeremiah 15, Jeremiah states that he has done everything that God has commanded him, and yet asks, “Why is my pain unending and my wound grievous and incurable? You are to me like a deceptive brook, like a spring that fails” (v. 18). He accuses God of not helping him as was promised, nor as he expected. Doesn’t this sound familiar to us?
God Calls Us to Repent
When we have accused God as Jeremiah did, the devil has gained a strong hold on our soul. We may feel that we are alone, like Jeremiah. Maybe we think, “If only God would do this for me, I would be much happier.” God urges Jeremiah to repent of this way of thinking: “If thou return, then will I bring thee again, and thou shalt stand before me” (v. 19).
With the yet-flickering lamp of faith in our hearts, we can pray to God for His help. We can pray that we would accept into our hearts messages of rebuke. We can visit with other children of God about matters that trouble us, using that grace gift of confession. When we wash our sins and doubts away with the cleansing water of the gospel, then we are able to serve God and His kingdom in the way He intended, free from the weight of sin and doubts.
Serve with Humility
Have you been asked to do duties in your home congregation? When asked, we may feel our weakness and nervousness, as Jeremiah did. We may even try to make excuses why we should not do these duties. But once we begin serving and become more comfortable in the work, the enemy may tempt us in another way, whispering in our ear, “You are doing a great job.”
Let us remember that all things come from God, and all is done to serve Him and His kingdom, not ourselves. God will help us in the duties asked of us, reminding us, as He reminded Jeremiah: to speak words that edify, to stay away from the temptations of this world and to care for those in need.
Strength for the Journey
God promises that He will be with us in all our battles and that He will deliver us from them: “I will deliver thee out of the hand of the wicked, and I will redeem thee out of the hand of the terrible” (v. 21). God will provide us the strength of an impenetrable brass wall, which no effort of the world may breach. With this strength from God, our faith cannot be taken from us. All we need is to have childlike faith in His plan for each one of us.
Martin Luther’s hymn, based on Psalm 46, begins with the words, “A mighty Fortress is our God, a trusty Shield and Weapon; He helps us in our ev’ry need” (SHZ 181:1). This powerful hymn reminds us that our heavenly Father is almighty, all-knowing, and cares for each one of us in our journey of faith. Psalm 46:10 reminds us, “Be still, and know that I am God.” As God’s children, we are never alone. We have God watching over us through His Spirit in the congregation of believers here on earth.
In the letter to the Hebrews, we are reminded of how God blesses us with travel friends to care for our faith. We are also reminded to follow the example that Jesus set as we journey toward our heavenly home. “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Heb. 12:1,2). This is the solid and sure foundation on which to keep our faith.
Dear child of God, keep the instructions from God’s kingdom close to your heart, especially that instruction to put sin away as it attaches in Jesus’ name and blood. We can live in comfort, knowing that the Word of God is sure and everlasting: “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever” (Heb. 13:8).