The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe.
Proverbs 18:10
One of the most challenging times for me growing up was my first day in middle school. I was in the 6th grade, and someone I didn’t know got word to me that he would find me a beat me up. Seriously! I know I’m buff and everything, but honestly, I was a little puny sixth grader with zero experience fighting or defending myself. As far as I knew, it was going to be bad for me. I was scared. I was terrified. It was bad enough that I had to change classes, get to my locker, change out my books, and do it all in 4 minutes. But doing all that while looking for the guy who wanted to crush me was quite crazy.
The danger zone for me was at lunch. I was exposed and vulnerable at lunchtime, so I immediately sought a place to hide from the threat I faced. I hid in doorways and small areas for about a week until the threat was gone.
What’s the end of the story? I’m still alive, and all is well.
I want to share a simple picture of two people who sought safety. One chose wisely and the other, poorly.
The Lord provides a strong tower for those who seek Him
Proverbs is an exciting book with some amazingly practical advice to each of us, and we would do well to follow it. A person who places his trust in the revealed character and strength of God is safe. A strong tower is one that puts us in a high position above our enemies and is not accessible from those who plan to harm us. The strong tower is one that is a high tower.
Philippians 4:19 gives us the New Testament parallel to this statement.
How is the “name of the Lord” a strong tower? If the name of the Lord is our refuge and strength (Psalm 46:1), then we run to Him when we are in trouble. But I want to propose that we should always run to the Lord. His name encompasses all of His character.
Are you running to the Lord this morning?
Man provides an imaginary tower for his protection
This vers is in stark contrast to verse 10. Proverbs mentions that a rich man’s wealth is his protection and strength. But, it is only imaginary protection and strength. If there is anything we’ve learned this year, it is that no one is safe from difficulty and hardship from COVID. We are all suspect to potentially be affected in some way from this invisible and changing threat.
However, this uncertainty sometimes causes us to focus on other things as our hope and strong tower. Anything other than resting in the Lord’s proven character as your strong tower is simple imagination. I don’t believe Solomon could be more clear in this proverb.
There is a difference. One is a stable tower, and the other is an imaginary one. Which one would you rather trust? The real one or the imaginary one?
Additional thoughts
I honestly have never spent much time on this verse, but it causes me to think about how I look at my own life and how I seek shelter from difficulty. The name of the Lord is a strong tower. Why would I not want to run to Him and spend time in the safety that He promises to provide?
My simple hiding in doorways and concealed spaces from the guy who wanted to take me down during the first week of the sixth grade was a tower of my imagination. I had to learn to trust the Lord with my issues. He needed to be my strong tower.
Are you living in an imaginary safety tower created by your own means, or are you experiencing the real and significant protection the Lord desires to be for you?