2 Chronicles 14:7
“Therefore he said unto Judah, Let us build these cities, and make about them walls, and towers, gates, and bars, while the land is yet before us; because we have sought the LORD our God, we have sought him, and he hath given us rest on every side. So they built and prospered.”
When Asa took control of the kingdom, he immediately understood the importance of building strongholds to protect the people he led. He understood there were enemies who wanted to destroy Judah, and if he didn’t fortify the city those enemies would destroy the people he loved and led. The verse above says after he built those strongholds, “So they built and prospered.”
Any family that wants to prosper must have strongholds that they have built to keep the unwanted enemies from destroying them. There are many enemies that have destroyed families. Sadly, we don’t learn from those whose families were destroyed because they allowed those enemies into their homes. When you look at the verse above, you see that there are four strongholds every family must have to keep them safe from the enemy.
First, every family needs a stronghold of walls. The walls are simply rules by which they live. Rules are not there to inhibit you from enjoying life, but they are there to keep unwanted sins from destroying your family. You have to have rules that you establish in your home, and enforce those rules at all times. It needs to be understood that those rules are not to be ignored by anyone in the home. The family rules are to be followed by the children and the parents. The rules do no good if you don’t follow them.
Second, every family needs a stronghold of towers. The tower was where the watchman stood. The watchman looked at a distance and warned of the coming enemy. If a home is going to be blessed, then they must have the right authorities to warn them of what is dangerous. Let me simply say, this authority is your pastor. You must allow your pastor the freedom to tell you of dangers you must avoid. If your pastor is simply a voice you ignore, then you are opening your family to the enemy. Let me encourage you to listen to your pastor as he stands in the tower and warns of the enemies that want to destroy your family.
Third, every family needs a stronghold of gates. The gates allowed people in and out of the city. In other words, a strong family is a family that is careful with their friends. Every parent needs to be sure they control who their children’s friends are. If you see that your child has a wrong friend, then you need to stop that friendship. Likewise, parents need to be careful with their own friends. All it takes is one bad friend in the gates of your home to destroy your family.
Fourth, every family needs a stronghold of bars. In other words, you must bar from the family any influence or association that could harm your family. These influences you must control are the programs you watch, the music to which you listen, the books you read and the institutions you support. All of these things will influence your family, and they must be closely watched if you want to protect your family from harm.
Happy families are families who have strongholds. Don’t let your family go another day without these four strongholds in place.