Poltross Burn Milecastle

I called at the Poltross Burn Milecastle this summer, otherwise known as M48. This is one of the eighty mini-forts built onto Hadrian’s Wall at roughly a mile’s distance, used to house twenty to thirty soldiers. At the one end was a gate through the wall leading into barbarian territory; at the other end, a gate leading to Rome’s great empire. Although one entrance had a tower or towers above it, the other was also guarded. Today, the fort is ruinous, but it is substantial enough to fuel a reasonable imagination. Whether travellers were entering or exiting Roman territory, Poltross Burn Milecastle was charged with keeping them safe, and the empire which built it.

In Psalm 121:7-8, we read:

The Lord shall preserve you from all evil;

He shall preserve your soul.

The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in

From this time forth, and even forevermore. (New King James Version)

If Rome guarded the way out and the way in, so the Lord guards the comings and goings of His people. Whether it be a new job, a new school year, a new move or a new home, we may rest assured that God watches both ways and covers our backs.