Safe!

Safe!

The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe. Proverbs 18:10 KJV

Context:

We come again to the book where each sentence is a one-line message. You don't find too much related information in the verses before today's extract, but they generally speak to the importance of words, seeking God and the value of wisdom. That is the context in which today's extract must be understood: my life and its application matter. My choices matter. What I do, say and think as well as how I do what is required of me matter. If I claim allegiance to God, everything about my life must speak of him. When I act, I claim to represent him and it had better be done right. 

Message and Response:

It is God's name that is at stake here. God lays down the standard of who he is, what he has done in the past and can still do, and invites me to come to him for his help. I must know that I cannot do anything of or by myself; I need God's help. Of what use is the knowledge of God that does not lead me to seek him? Of what use is the knowledge of God that does not lead to a deeper walk with him? He has done all that is required for men to find him; the best I can do is to seek him. 

I have to know who I seek. He is near to all men, yet he is far away from sin. He invites me to come to him, just as I am, but he doesn't condone sin. He takes me as I am, but does not leave me as I came. He invites me into his sheepfold, where I become a member of his family. My identity, status and direction change, and my priorities reflect my new reality. The name of the Lord is a strong tower; it is the place of total safety, protection and security. It is his name, but the building, or the physical Bible itself. We wash psalms into water and drink, thinking it protects. We put our bibles under the pillow as we sleep, thinking they protect us from harm. We don't read it, but we know where it is all night. That is not what the name of the Lord is all about. It is a personal thing; it is first about who he is to me before it becomes a public testimony. 

The name of the Lord is described as a strong tower. The picture is one of a place of safety, as well as the reality of war. There would be no need for a tower if there was no danger of warfare. The tower is usually the highest part of the city, from where all coming dangers can be easily seen and measures taken to neutralise them. It is folly to expect a life free of trials simply because you are in Christ. Nowhere does God ever promise that. His power, presence and protection are the things he guarantees, not the absence of pressure. 

It also matters the kind of person who can take advantage of the name of the Lord. Today's extract refers to the righteous: people who know that they need help, and have come to the right source for that help. They have put all their hope in this Lord, and have signed off their lives to him, come what may. Am I one of such people? Do I have a back up plan in the event that the first plan does not work? The name of the Lord is a strong tower, and he will work for all who come to him, but it is important to note that some come out of desperation and as an emergency response. They have heard the name works, so they come and take advantage of the benefits, but they do not intend to wait in there. They come in for the benefits, not the responsibilities. They are like tenants who only pay rent, but hold no allegiance to the place where they stay. 

Am I one who is only interested in temporary comfort, and not permanent residence? Am I only in it for what I can get out of it, what it gives me or how it makes me feel, or am I in it because I know who this God is, I have come to trust him totally and I am in it for the whole journey, no matter what he brings my way? This is the fact that I must sort out, if I will get all that is promised. If I will be safe, I must seek the Lord on his own terms, not mine. I don't have the answers; he does. I can't help myself; He is the Help of Israel. I can't keep myself safe but if I am in him, resting and residing in him, I am truly safe from all trouble. Where are you located: in Christ or in a contraption of your own making? The end will always prove that God is my best bet. His time of favour is here.