A Mighty Fortress - Psalm 90-92

Psalm 91:1-2

Live under the protection of God Most High

and stay in the shadow of God All-Powerful.

2Then you will say to the Lord,

“You are my fortress, my place of safety;

you are my God,and I trust you.”

 

The dictionary defines a fortress as “any place of exceptional security; a stronghold.”   The idea of living in the shadow of God, the All-Powerful , is so encouraging.  It provides rest and relief from a world seeking to destroy- a place of exceptional security.

 

A Mighty Fortress is our God                                                                  

A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing;
Our helper He, amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing:
For still our ancient foe doth seek to work us woe;
His craft and power are great, and, armed with cruel hate,
On earth is not his equal.

Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing;
Were not the right Man on our side, the Man of God’s own choosing:
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.

And though this world, with devils filled, should threaten to undo us,
We will not fear, for God hath willed His truth to triumph through us:
The Prince of Darkness grim, we tremble not for him;
His rage we can endure, for lo, his doom is sure,
One little word shall fell him.

That word above all earthly powers, no thanks to them, abideth;
The Spirit and the gifts are ours through Him Who with us sideth:
Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also;
The body they may kill: God’s truth abideth still,
His kingdom is forever.

Words & Music Martin Luther, 1529; trans­lat­ed from Ger­man to Eng­lish by Fred­er­ic H. Hedge, 1853.  This song has been called “the great­est hymn of the great­est man of the great­est per­i­od of Ger­man his­to­ry” and the “Bat­tle Hymn of the Ref­or­ma­tion.”