For I, says the Lord, will be to her a wall of fire round about, and I will be the glory in the midst of her. Zech 2:5 (NKJV)
Jerusalem was in ruins, and her people were scattered. Zechariah was having visions about how the Lord would restore her and bring her people back. At the time of Zechariah's vision, Jerusalem had no walls, they’d been torn down, stormed over and the city had been plundered. She lay in ruins, broken down, vulnerable… But not destroyed beyond repair. At the beginning of this vision, a man measures Jerusalem in order to rebuild, but then a messenger comes to him and says so many people will come back to and fill Jerusalem that it will spill over, and then God himself will be their protection and glory. A wall of fire – providing warmth, sustenance and light to those within and keeping predators and those who seek harm against them, out.
Jerusalem is referred to as a woman. And as a woman myself, I can’t help but relate this story of Jerusalem to my own heart… And it's not exclusive to women…
All of us know what it’s like to have our heart torn open, trampled on and laid bare… Whether others do it to us, or sin has its corrosive way – our heart is vulnerable without God himself to protect us with His love burning hot like fire. Just as God promised again and again throughout the Old Testament that he would rebuild the walls of Jerusalem and settle her people once more, through Jesus He has done the same for us. He rebuilds our lives with redemption… He inhabits our heart with joy and peace… And He surrounds our lives like a protective father and warrior, shielding us from the enemies plan and that which would destroy us eternally.
For the weary and the broken, for the ashamed and the hopeless… Rise up – Jesus is your defender, restorer, healer, protector… He is your glory and causes you to shine with a beauty that cannot be compared. And the fire of God that lives within His word will warm you, light your way, protect you, establish you and guide you. No matter what state your heart is in today, look up in hope… Love is on the way.