Scaling the Walls of Life

Scaling the Walls of Life
Psalm 18.6
"In my distress I called to the LORD; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears."

Psalm 18.29
"With your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall."

The Byzantine Empire was the last beacon of hope in the Dark Ages. As the western half of the Roman Empire fell to the Germanic tribes, the eastern half, particularly the city of Constantinople in modern day Turkey, remained a stronghold for the Roman and Christian way of life. But the threat from invaders forced the last Roman emperors to secure the city. The result were the walls of Constantinople--the greatest defensive wall structure in the ancient world apart from the Great Wall of China. With three layers of limestone wall, some being six feet thick, the city of Constantinople was virtually impossible to conquer externally. The enemies would have had to scale or penetrate three layers of defense and then conquer one of the 97 towers that surrounded the city. Here is a diagram of what these walls look like.

The concept of walled barriers were very common to the ancient world. It is no surprise, then, that the Psalmist alludes to it here in Psalm 18--a psalm focused on emphasizing the Lord's provision and protection from enemies(commonly thought to be when David was escaping from Saul.) The Psalmist asserts that "in [his] distress [he] called to the LORD." "From [the LORD's] temple he heard [the Psalmist's] voice" and his "cry came before "[the LORD], into his ears." As the LORD answers the Psalmist's plea for safety and redemption from his enemies, he rejoices in the confidence that the Lord provides. He boasts that "[w]ith [the LORD's] help [he] can advance against a troop" and that "with [his] God [he] can scale a wall."

Isn't that true, beloved? Ought we not to trust in the Lord just as the Psalmist did? Do we cry to Him in our distress, and do we trust that with Him we can do all things? I have no doubt that with my God I can scale the walls of Byzantine or advance against the mightiest army. For our God is mighty and powerful, and His provisions for our lives are more than enough to sustain us. That is why the Scripture says in Philippians 4.13 that "[We] can do all things through Christ who strengthens [us]." Beloved, we simply need to trust that Jesus will provide for us. I realize this is rather abstract and vague, but it is meant to be. Literally every area of your life can be solved by putting Christ at the center. Pray to Him. Open up His word. Cry out to Him and bow before Him in your brokenness and distress. Just as He answered the Psalmist, so too He will answer you!

I pray that we will scale all the walls in our lives that we must face. Whether it be how we will pay the bills for this month, how we will handle that co-worker or student or friend or family member with whom we are struggling, or how we will deal with grief, the Lord will provide for us in the way He has chosen. That may NOT mean that it happens as we wish, but it does mean that God will get us over that wall into the promised land to which He has promised us. What will it be, beloved? Will you put your trust in the Lord today to provide for you? Let's do so! Amen.

With love in Christ,



Austin Aldrich