Your Strong Tower
When my wife and I lived in North Carolina, we experienced firsthand the effects of hurricanes. The winds, the rain, the flooding, all of those caused us great distress, wondering when the roof would blow off or when a flying object would come through our window or when one of our many trees would come crashing down.
During one storm we did have the top half of a 120-foot tall tree snap off in the wind, and thankfully our house was spared much damage, but can I just say, gas grills and wooden decks don’t do so well against winds gusts and falling trees. Our temporary safe place that day – sitting in our living room arm in arm, heart rates racing, hoping and praying. In advance of another hurricane we evacuated and our safe place during that devastating storm was in a hotel 140 miles away. We could only watch on television as our city was the lead story for days; seeing the effects of 120 mile per hour winds and 13-feet of water was heartbreaking, knowing our beautiful little city was in great distress, and not knowing what we would find once we could return.
Where is your safe place? Where do you run to when you feel threatened or in need of rest? We all like those places of safety. As a child, the first place you probably wanted to run to when you were afraid was into your mother or father’s arms. Those comforting arms wrapped around you, holding you tight, offered a safe haven in the face of danger and fear. As a young boy living in Columbus, Ohio, I loved to build hideouts out of plywood, dirt and tree branches with my friends, and without the secret password nobody could enter our fort. We were safe from grownups and girls. Maybe you ran and hit under your bed when your abusive father came home from a night of excessive drinking. As adults, we sometimes “run” to alcohol or medication to “hide” from the pain of life.
Every one of us has a place we go, or an activity we engage in, when the storms of life begin to toss us to and fro. We all desire an anchor to hold us fast when the waves grow dangerous.
The truth is, no matter how secure we think that safe place is, it is not permanent; it can only bring temporary, not lasting, safety and security. The living room we sat in was only “safe” because the tree didn’t come crashing through the roof, potentially injuring or even killing us. The hotel room we sat in, it only provided us a few days of “stressful” safety. Those comforting arms, they only hugged you for so long. That fort we built as kids, it usually collapsed within days, despite our architectural expertise. Your abusive dad found you hiding under the bed and you were safe no more. That bottle of wine you drank to soothe your pain, all it did was leave you with a nasty headache in the morning.
There are many names for God in the Bible. Just a few are: Elohim, which means the Creator God; El Shaddai, the Almighty God; Jehovah Jireh, the Lord Will Provide; Jehovah Rohi, the Lord My Shepherd; Jehovah El Elyon, the Lord God Most High; or how about, Emmanu-el, which is God With Us. Today I want to look at another name, one found in Psalm 62:8; God Our Refuge – “Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God (Elohim) is a refuge (Machase Lanu) for us.”
Psalm 62 is filled with phrases such as: God alone is my rock, my salvation, my fortress, my hope is from Him, and, in Him I will not be shaken. Do you believe that today?
So, today, will you run to Elohim Machase Lanu, God Your Refuge? And will you thank Him for providing you shelter both in the storm and from the storm? God is your refuge, your protection, your unfailing and trustworthy strong tower.