The name of the Lord is a fortified tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.
Proverbs 18:10
The Tower the Enemy Can't Take
The author of Proverbs conveys a simple truth: the Lord is a safe place. It is compared to a fortified tower, as other translations say. In ancient Israel, a fortified tower was useful when the enemy attacked. People could retreat to that tower and be safe because it could withstand the enemy's assaults. The same is true for the righteous who run to the Lord. When they seek the Lord in times of trial or feel under attack, He is there to protect them, for His name is a strong tower.
The Same Truth, Centuries Apart
This verse is the application. When things feel tough, when you feel under attack, when you feel misunderstood, or when you feel dejected or down, the Lord is where you can go and be safe. You can do that simply by asking the Holy Spirit to be there with you. Take a deep breath in and a deep breath out, and ask the Holy Spirit to come and be with you in your trials and in your tough times, because the Lord, His name, is a strong tower.
It reminds me of the verse in Philippians 4 that I wrote about a couple of days ago, where we're told that the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus. These verses—the verse we're reading today in Proverbs and the verse in Philippians—are written centuries apart, yet they echo the same truth: if we go to the Lord with our anxiety and our trouble, He is faithful to be there and offer us His peace.
Prayer
Jesus, be with us in our trials, in our troubles, in our circumstances. Father, when we feel under attack, be with us. Give us your peace and your strength, and be our strong tower. We pray all this in Jesus' name. Amen.