“The name of the LORD is a fortified tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.” — Proverbs 18:10
Last year, my wife and I stayed in a hotel that had a large concrete wall directly behind it. The wall was massive. It was 10 to 20 feet high and was made of thick, reinforced concrete.
Basically, the view out our window was a giant concrete wall. Not a very visually appealing thing to look at during our stay. And the wall ran the entire length of the hotel.
Having taken college courses in slope stabilization methods, I eventually realized what the wall was. It was too tall to be a simple retaining wall. It was constructed to provide a barrier against a potential debris flow event. In other words, if a heavy rain was to fall on the slope behind the hotel, and mobilize (or move) the debris down the hill, the massive concrete wall would (Lord willing) protect the hotel from any damage or loss of life. Once I realized what the wall was there for, I wasn’t bothered by it restricting our view. In fact, I was glad it was there.
The massive concrete wall reminded me of this verse in Proverbs. The name of the Lord is a protection for Believers! Now, God and His Word won’t protect us from all of life’s hardships and trials. The Bible is clear, we live in a broken world, with much pain and suffering.
But, the Bible (specifically the book of Proverbs) was written to teach us wisdom so that we can be skillful at living. God and His Word do provide a fortified tower for much of life’s hardships and trials. If we listen to and obey God’s wisdom (related to our sexuality, money, relationships, conflicts, parenting, marriage, etc.), it truly is a fortified tower for the righteous!
Thankful,
Posted in A Word from the Pastor