Strong Tower, Part One

This is Part One of Three posts from Proverbs 18 and 19 that explore the summary exhortation of Proverbs 18, one that has especially strong meaning for believers deployed to Iraq (Proverbs 18:10):

10The name of the LORD is a strong tower;
The righteous run to it and are safe.

The name of the Lord is a strong tower, a fortress, a rock, a shield. Not everyone can accept this. Not everyone recognizes God in this way, and even some who do, find it difficult to trust God enough to take Him up on His offer.

Proverbs 18

1 A man who isolates himself seeks his own desire;
He rages against all wise judgment.
14The spirit of a man will sustain him in sickness,
But who can bear a broken spirit?

Sometimes, pride and selfishness can lead a person to do for themselves what God wants to provide, or turn towards desires that tempt away from God. For others, fear or sorrow may cause them to lose all hope, to turn away or leave behind a genuine help in times of trouble.

22He who finds a wife finds a good thing,
And obtains favor from the LORD.

For many men, a stubbornness of spirit, or a sense that dependency on God is weakness, can blind them or cause them to avoid consideration of God in their lives. And yet, there are many who come to a saving belief, who are led there by dutiful spouses who do not give up hope. Whether with a spouse or by close relationship with friends, it is difficult for anyone to come to believe in the hope in the Lord without someone who has come alongside.

24A man who has friends must himself be friendly,
But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

But the kind of friendships which encourage each other towards faith and obedience require investment. And no greater friend is that believer who sticks with you through thick and thin, not giving up, until God is able to speak into your heart.

Part Two will describe some ways that we break down the stronghold that the Lord wants us to inhabit.

Strong Tower Part Three