Proverbs 18:10
The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous runs into it and is safe.
James Bond, Batman, Zorro, and Darkwing Duck all have the ability to strike fear into the hearts of the criminal mind with nothing more than the mere mention of their name. “I am the terror that flaps in the night, I am the ingrown toenail on the foot of crime, I am the meter on the cab of justice, I am Darkwing Duck.” As intimidating as the call of these names can be, not one of them possesses a power or protection of their own. They are all but a representation of some finite being. Not so with the name of our Lord. At the name of Jesus, lame men walk (Acts 3:6), demons are cast out (Acts 16:18), prayers are answered (John 14:13), and sins are forgiven (Luke 24:47). One day, at the name of Jesus, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (Philippians 2:10-11). The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous runs into it and is safe.
It appears so simple on the surface, doesn’t it? The tower of the Lord is a shelter to all who call upon His name. Nonetheless, we foolishly resist the warmth of His protection. Battered and bruised, we stagger through the wasteland of our lives, searching for shelter from the wind and the rain. A man made covering here, a borrowed shelter there, we would rather walk in the never-ending circle of deception than to confess our own inadequacies. I am brokenhearted by the truth of this picture. I wonder how often our pride and unrepentful spirits have separated us from the protection of the Lord’s tower? I can personally attest to the many times where my own shame has hindered me from calling on the name of the Lord. We punish ourselves for that which Christ has already been punished. We are convinced that He who died for our sins has finally reached His limit; “There is no way He will forgive me this time.” I plead with you to not buy that lie!
I John 1:9 promises that, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” It is true that our Lord is a just God and cannot commune with a sinful heart; it is true that only the righteous run into His tower, but I remind you also of your true identity in Christ. Although we are continually wrestling with the sins of our flesh, Jesus Christ has freed us from the slavery of sin, and through Christ, God gives us the power to become instruments of righteousness (Romans 6:13). I urge you to remember the wealth of your blessings in Christ Jesus. Come in from the storms of life. Do not be deceived any longer by the enemy of our souls. As often as we will confess our sins, we will be cleansed of our unrighteousness and be made slaves to His righteousness; as often as we confess our sins, we have the authority and the obligation to take refuge in the tower of His name.
What’s keeping you from the Lord’s tower of refuge today? I pray that you would confess your sins, be cleansed from your unrighteousness, and run towards the safety of His name.