“The Name of the Lord is a Strong Tower, the righteous run to it and they are safe.” Proverbs 18:10 NKJV
When I hear someone’s name immediately a picture comes into my mind. It can be good or bad depending on the reputation that is associated with their name. I have met many wonderful people in my life and when some of their names are mentioned it can bring a sense of calm or peace to my heart. While others can cause an unsettling to rise up. A Name is powerful and this is true of the Name of the Lord. His Name carries with it His reputation and His Character. So, when we are being told that His Name is a strong tower, we can have confidence in this Name and the character associated with it.
Some people’s reputation are not trustworthy but the Name of the Lord, is a name and reputation we can fully trust and count on. When God says he is going to do something, it will be done. When He tells us that He is a safe place to run to when the pressures are surrounding you. You can trust with full assurance that you will find a place of refuge that you can find no where else.
Strong Towers are places people run to for safety from enemies trying to captivate them, or places for people to flee when they need to be protected or find refuge. His Name contains within in it a place where we can run and flee to in any moment of our lives. What a powerful Name.
Once people entered the strong tower they found three key things; protection, provision, and a sense of belonging. I love so much that everything we could ever want is found in His reputation, in His Name.
I don’t need to stand on the outside trying to do this on my own. Trying to be my own provider, my own protector, building my own identity, but as I run to the Name that can be trusted my entire life is amply supplied.
What does this look like besides nice words?
Protection! Living has a way of staining our lives. The mess of living in a broken world can have its toll on us if we are trying to protect ourselves, but to the person who knows that they cannot defend their own heart against the onslaught of darkness, they refuse to be their own protector. They trust that this strong tower can protect their heart, their mind, their very life from the outside pressures that is trying to beat it down. Their hearts are kept and protected because they have run to the Name that protects.
Provision. Consider that while we often try and supply our lives from things that are outside of His Name, everything we need to live is supplied in His Name. Once a person enters the tower, they have all that they need to live. They trust the defenders of the city to protect while they embrace the resources that are supplied within the walls of refuge. They can rest, feast on the provision and be completely satisfied. This is so rich if we get this. To the one who runs to Him, we have everything we need for life and godliness. We don’t need what is outside of Him, only what is in His Name. Selah.
A sense of belonging. Inside the place of refuge is a community where love and acceptance is found. A sense of belonging that can’t be found anywhere else. I personally love this part. Having been a misfit most of my life in this world, my identity is truly found in Christ. I don’t fit elsewhere because I was made to belong in Him. We are loved and cherished but only begin to taste of that when we run to His incredibly powerful Name.
There is safety in this strong tower. Our hearts are safe. Our minds are safe. We are covered and hidden by the very One who gave up everything to be our place of refuge and our redeemer.
Comments(3)
j.Holmes says:
May 1, 2020 at 8:30 pmTower of Refuge…
Remember how, as a child you saw your parents as a “tower of refuge”? If you got hurt, or bullied, scared….and needed a safe place to go to, a place of refuge… they were your place of refuge and strength. Perhaps you didn’t know a mother or father like that, I can tell you, there is a heavenly Father you can run to that far exceeds what you could possibly think about our earthly parents and Who has a kingdom that is out of this world. It is His Son Who has come to make known His Father and to show you the Way, the Truth, and Life. He, Jesus, is the Way to the strong Tower of Refuge. Jesus came speaking Truth and is the very Word of Truth. (John 1:14, 17) He is the Resurrection and the Life. (John 11:25) Jesus came and is coming again.
The scriptures speak of a time when “the hour of trial shall come upon the whole world”. It also speaks of those who put their trust in God (in Christ) may be spared such a time. (Rev.3:8,10) I think of this, how God shall take us from the earth (rapture) to a place of safety (a high tower) during a time that God will display His wrath against His enemies. (1Thess.4:16,17) Our safety will be with Christ Jesus, in Christ. (1Thess.5:1-11) This is the blessed hope of the Christian….of those that take their refuge in Him. This day is fast approaching, with biblical prophesy transforming into the history of our day. We are running to Him…running the race….looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. We are running out of time into eternity. We are learning to “enter into His rest”.
Running to Him, we acknowledge our weakness, our recognizing ourselves lost without Him. We acknowledge our need for Jesus…for one to “save” us. There is a spiritual battle going on (Eph.6:12) that manifests itself in the physical world as good and evil. However scriptures warn us that we need to discern between good and evil. …(Heb.5:14) , that the very enemy of our soul is a “ deceiver”. (Rev.12:9) Our friend is the “Truth” and the “Spirit of Truth”. (John 16:13,14)
Running begins with our “need”. The truth is “all have sinned” , (Rom3:23) have done wrong in the sight of God, and so have become separated, and lost…not knowing God.
To know God is eternal Life. (John 17:3) The result of sin in our lives is that it brings death. (Rom.6:23) How can I get back to God or run to Him? The Bible tells us that Jesus took our death penalty, by dying on the cross for us. He had no sin and so He took our sin upon himself and became our substitute so that we don’t have to die. To run to God is to run to the cross with repentance, confessing to God our sin and to ask Him for help to be different, to change us to be more like Jesus who never sinned. Sinning is going our own way and not God’s way. Jesus always did what He saw God, His Father doing. Repentance is turning from going our way, to go God’s way. God loves you and that is why He sent His Son….to rescue, to save you. (John 3:16) Running to God is truly running to the “Tower of Refuge”. We encourage you today and everyday to run to Him.
Sue Holmes says:
May 1, 2020 at 10:56 pmTower of Refuge … my take-aways …
“His Name contains within in it a place where we can run and flee to in any moment of our lives.” This sentence & the ones preceding & following it give such a vivid image of our Lord’s name being a place. Not just a word & not only a person. This may sound a little abstract but the idea that comes across is that when the name of the Lord is called upon it is as if we are enveloped in a sense of security & strength. “What a powerful name.”
“… that everything we could ever want is found in His reputation, in His Name.” There truly is a feeling of fulfillment when I allow myself to send ‘quality’ time in His presence. There is a satisfaction that leaves a person filled and yet at the same time hungering for more.
Inside the tower is bound to be somewhat different for each of us as He is a God who knows each of us & responds to each of us uniquely. Protection, provision, & a sense of belonging are present in abundance.
I have also found that strong tower to be my place of peace & serenity. When the world attempts to crash about the walls of the tower of God’s presence I can rest because He is there.
Strength is also found when I run to the tower. In days of exhaustion, this is a definite confidence builder because my everything is on Him. As God spoke to Israel through Isaiah … “But you were not willing.” I am learning that not being willing is not an option.
“For the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel has said this, “In returning [to Me] and rest you shall be saved. In quietness and confident trust is your strength.”
But you were not willing,” (Isaiah 30:15)
Sandy says:
May 2, 2020 at 8:20 amThank you, Pastor. This is wonderful assurance.