Establishing your Fortress

Some walls look unbreakable until God walks through them. We journey from the stark integrity of 2 Samuel 4 to the stunning capture of Jerusalem in 2 Samuel 5, then bring it home literally through a vulnerable story about renovation setbacks, insurance woes, and the moment a beloved house revealed it could never be our fortress. It’s a candid look at how trust gets rebuilt when the floors creak and the heart aches.

We explore why Jerusalem mattered far beyond geography. The city didn’t begin as Israel’s possession; it stood apart, fortified and defiant, until God used David to claim it as a unifying center for worship and, generations later, the place where Jesus would lay down his life. That arc reframes security: strength isn’t in stone, it’s in presence. 

Along the way, we name the practical questions listeners face: How do you lead without compromising when compromise looks efficient? What do you do when your “safe place” feels fragile? How can a city God claims become a pattern for a life God steadies? We offer honest encouragement for heavy weeks and a prayer that turns anxiety into a renewed center. If you’re carrying a burden, this conversation gives language, Scripture, and quiet courage to keep going with a truer shelter over your head.

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Podcast Music by: prazkhanal
Song: Whip

Chapters

• 0:00 Welcome And Purpose
• 1:57 Integrity In 2 Samuel 4
• 3:15 David Unifies Israel Through Jerusalem
• 6:20 From City Of David To City Of God
• 7:31 A Home Renovation Meets Hard Reality
• 10:05 My Fortress Is The Lord
• 11:38 Prayer And Closing Encouragement
• 12:23 Share, Subscribe, And Stay Connected

Transcript

SPEAKER_00: 0:00

Hello, hello. Are you listening to the Jesse Morgan Devotions for the Christian Heart Podcast episode 95? This week's devotional is titled Establishing Your Fortress. So excited about this study. Let's go. Hi, I'm Jesse Morgan. I used to just share home decor and renovation tips on social media, but now I'm sharing something even closer to my heart. My journey in love for Jesus Christ, my savior. Welcome to the Jesse Morgan Devotions for the Christian Hawk Podcast. This is a weekly devotional I started back in May 2024, but the inspiration for it came much earlier. It was rooted in a faith journey that began when my daughter was born four months early in 2023. Through that challenging time, God worked in ways that truly amazed me. On this podcast, I share personal stories of faith woven together with Scripture to show just how incredible God's word can be in our everyday lives. My hope is that through these stories, you'll be encouraged, uplifted, and reminded of God's love and presence, no matter what you're going through. So I invite you to spend less than 15 minutes with me each week as we reflect on these devotionals together. Let's all pray within. Episode 95, Key Passage, 2 Samuel 4 and 5. Establishing your fortress. Welcome back to the podcast. And today we're continuing our study of David and 2 Samuel chapters 4 and 5. I'm going to touch briefly on chapter 4, and then we're really going to go in and focus on 5. But before we jump in, I just want to say this to you. I think I've said this before, but I really mean it this time. This week's devotion is going to be a bit more raw than usual. So just be prepared for that. This passage has met me exactly where I am right now, and I felt led to share it honestly. So let's start it off. First, um, 2 Samuel chapter 4 is really, um, I just always want to sum this chapter up about integrity still matters, kind of a continuation of last week. Um, chapter four focuses on Ish Baheth. Sorry if I said that wrong, that name wrong, but that's Saul's son, who was made king over the northern tribes of Israel after Saul's death. After Abner, who anointed him as king, was killed, two men took advantage of the political instability of the northern tribes, and they murdered the king and while he was resting and brought his head to David, assuming this would earn them favor. But David's response is immediate and clear. He is disgusted, just as he did when a man claimed to have killed Saul himself, and David refuses to accept power gained through sin, even when it benefits him. So David understood something deeply important. God's promises do not require unrighteousness. And in that moment, David had those two men killed. So leadership that honors God must be built on integrity and not convenience. So on to chapter five. Um, chapter five is monumental. Um, it really answers why Jerusalem is so important. Um, David is finally anointed king over all Israel, and the very first thing he does is he takes Jerusalem. Here's something that I never fully understood until studying this more clearly, and then going back to my study of Joshua. Jerusalem was not part of Israel's original inheritance. Let that sink in for a minute. In Joshua 1563, it says scripture tells us that Judah could not draw could not drive out the Jebesites living in Jerusalem. And even in Joshua 18, 28, it says Jerusalem is still listed as a just uh Jebesite city within Benjamin's territory. So Benjamin, the Benjaminites were not instructed to take Jerusalem, they inhabited around it. And even in Judges 1.21, it confirms that the Jebesites continued to live there alongside Israel. So while Israel conquered much of the promised land, Jerusalem remained Jebesite territory territory. It never fully belonged to any tribe. That matters. So keep that in mind. Jerusalem was heavenly fortified. It was a heavy fortified city, high walls, everything. It was like Jericho 2.0, honestly. The people mocked David and believed the city was impossible for him to take. But David gave, but God gave David victory, and Jerusalem fell and became the city of David, the place where David established his reign. Because Jerusalem had never belonged to the northern or southern tribes, it became kind of like when it when historians talk about it, a neutral city, a place God used to unite a divided nation. And I honestly think they were spot on about it. And from that point forward, Jerusalem became the center of worship, the site of the temple, and ultimately the city where Jesus Christ would sacrifice himself. Jerusalem was never just a city. It was a place God claimed for himself. The rest of the promised land he claimed for his people, but Jerusalem he claimed for himself through David and then Jesus. And as I've been studying this passage this week, God has been showing me that Jerusalem represents something much deeper. It represents where God establishes his presence, his authority, and his protection. And that realization led me to reflect on something very personal. So let's transition into my personal story. I want to share this because it connects directly to what Jerusalem has come to symbolize for me this week. For those who know me or who have followed my journey, you know that I love my home. We bought our house back in 2020, right in the middle of COVID. And from the very beginning, it was a fixer-upper. The house had good bones, but it needed a lot of work. The house was lime green with tons of vegetation when we bought it. The kitchen had green contact paper on the cabinets, a random old trash compactor, the sink wasn't even centered under the window. The bathrooms were outdated. One had a brown tub that looked like it came out of the Jackson 5 era. Countertops were so low you had to bend over just to wash your face. The pool area had rock flooring. You couldn't even walk on barefoot. The house needed a new new flooring, new HVAC system, an electrical plano, just a lot of updating. But little by little, year by year, we poured our heart, effort, and prayer into this home. We replaced the floors, we upgraded major systems, we worked hard to make it functional, peaceful, and safe for our family. And over time, this house became something I truly loved. I love decorating. I love analyzing design. I love creating spaces that feel warm and lived in. My home became a little sanctuary for me, a place of rest, creativity, and safety. And that's why this past month has been so disruptive. Over the last several weeks, we discovered a serious water issue beneath part of our floors. At first, we didn't know what it was or where it was coming from. We brought people in, we asked questions, we tried to rule things out, insurance was involved. Eventually, we learned there is a subfloor leak connected to our sliding glass doors, and insurance is not going to cover it. That discovery has meant uncertainty, disruption, and the possibility of tearing things back up that we work so hard to build. At the same time, we've also been navigating challenges and changes with my daughter's health insurance, which has added another layer of stress and an already heavy season. It's been a lot. And in the middle of all this, studying Jerusalem has gently confronted me with this truth. My home is not my fortress. I love it. I'm grateful for it. I've worked hard on it, but it was never meant to be the thing that holds me steady. Jerusalem wasn't strong because of its walls. It was strong because God dwelled there. And this season has been a hard lesson for me, but a necessary one. Because it has reminded me that my true city of David, my true Jerusalem, is not built with floors, walls, or design choices. My fortress is the Lord. And as long as I continue to seek Him, trust Him, praise Him, rely on Him, He will keep building the walls that truly matter for me. Not walls that block out life, but walls that hold me steady when life hits hard. Encouragement for anybody who needs to listen to this. If this week has been heavy for you too, it feels uncertain or shaken. If something you relied on suddenly feels fragile, hear this. You are not failing because the walls feel weak. You are being reminded where your true fortress is. Jerusalem ultimately became the place where Jesus sacrificed himself, the ultimate act of protection, love, and redemption. And that tells us something powerful. God chooses to dwell in places that require trust, that require his love. I don't know how every detail will work out and what I'm going through and what we're dealing with, but I trust the one who does. And today, that is enough. That to for this week, that is enough. And I encourage you to really focus in on your city of David, your Jerusalem, your fortified walls that God is building up for your protection, for your love, for your guidance. And I just hope that this was a blessing to you as it was for me. And how God used David to capture such a special place where our Savior is going to walk, where he's going to sacrifice himself for us. And I've just realized that I have such a strong fortress with my God. And my fortress is not my home. Your fortress is not your job. Your fortress is not your money. Your fortress should be with the Lord. And I pray that what you're going through this week, you focus in on that and understand that you have the walls of protection with God there. So be encouraged. And I love you all so much. Thank you so much for being here. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, thank you for this lesson. Thank you for this study of David. Thank you for David being able to take Jerusalem, establish it in his reign as the first king, and then our final king took it over afterwards, which was Jesus Christ. And he laid his life on the line for us through that fortress that you built, Lord. Father, thank you so much for everybody who's listened. Encourage, I pray that everybody who's had issues, please let them be encouraged through this message, Lord. Father, thank you so much for the study of David. We love you, we praise you in Jesus' name. Amen. Love you all. So sorry for the tears today. Till next time. Well, that wraps up this week's episode. I hope these devotions help you draw closer to God each day. If this episode encouraged you, please share it with someone who might need the same message. And don't forget to subscribe so you never miss a weekly episode. Also, if you feek if you feel compelled, leaving a nice review would be so appreciated as well. For more information or to reach out, check the show notes or visit jessymorganhome.com or find me on Instagram at Jessimorganlife. Remember, God's timing is always perfect. Keep trusting him. Until next time, this is Jessie Morgan praying off.