Psalm 147:13, “He has strengthened the bars of your gates; He has blessed your children within you.”

I am looking at the pictures of the gates of the old city of Jerusalem in my photograph album. They are not little gates. They are fortresses with soldiers guarding them. They are huge and strong.

Nehemiah’s builders not only repaired the gates but they put bolts and bars on them too. (Nehemiah 3, 6, 13-15) They made sure they were strong enough to keep out the enemy. Most cities used iron or wooden cross bars which they secured at night to protect the city.

It’s not enough to repair our gates. We must strengthen them.

We must not allow any weakness in our gates. We must make sure they are bolted and barred against all intrusion of the enemy and all subtleties of deception from the humanistic society in which we live.  God promises us that when our gates are bolted and barred that our children will be blessed.

The third gate that we need to repair and strengthen is…

THE OLD GATE (Nehemiah 3:6)

This gate is called the Corner Gate in 2 Chronicles 26:9 because it was near to the corner. This speaks of Christ who is the chief corner stone! It is only upon Him that our faith is built.* This is the old truth and nothing but the truth. Any other way is fraud. Paul states in Galatians 1:8-9, “If anyone preaches any gospel to you other than what you have received, let him be accursed.”

The Old Gate is one that needs to be constantly repaired. Somehow the old ways slip away from us very easily. We assimilate quickly to society around us. God says in Isaiah 6:16, “Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.”

The old way is not the historic traditions of men, but God’s infallible, everlasting Word. God did not give His Holy written Word for the first generation of man only, but for all generations. Psalm 11: 7-8 says “All His commandments are sure. They stand fast forever and ever; and are done in truth and uprightness.”  Psalm 119:160 says, “Thy word is true from the beginning.” Or as the margin in my Bible says, “The beginning of thy word is true.” The principles God set forth in Genesis are still relevant for us today.

I love Psalm 12:6, “The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.” The plans and purposes that God ordained for man on this earth were first purified seven times before He gave them to us. They were sifted and refined until God knew they would be absolutely workable for all generations, including this 21st century.

These are the old un-changing ways that we must walk in. There are many areas where we have forgotten God’s original commandments in Christendom today, but let’s look at two glaring ones.

The very first commandment that God gave to man was, “Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it; and have dominion…” God has never rescinded this commandment. It is still in place today. But our humanistic society has changed God’s original decree. (Isaiah 24:5-6)  And the church has changed along with society. But God has not changed. Nor has His commandment changed.

Another old purified principle that God gave to us women is found in Titus 2:5 where it tells us to be “keepers at home.” Our generation has rejected this one too. But we must remember that this commandment is still in God’s everlasting word. It hasn’t been deleted – unless you have deliberately cut it out with your scissors.

God says that the old ways are the good ways. They are the ways that will bring us all the blessings that God wants to pour out upon us. They are the ways that bring us into rest. When we embrace the old ways, we can walk in rest even in the midst of this fast-paced world.

Are you walking in the old ways? Or are you refusing them? Do you need to do some repairs on the Old Gate in your home? Ask the Lord to show you were you have deviated from the old paths.

Love from NANCY CAMPBELL

AFFIRMATION:

PRAYER:

“Oh God please show me where I have deviated from your original paths and lead me in your good paths.. I confess that your ways are the best way for my life. Teach me how to bolt my gates against all deception of humanism. Amen”.

* (Psalm 118:22; Matthew 21:42; Acts 4:11; Ephesians 2:20 and 1 Peter 4:7)