Proverbs 18:10 The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe.
My perception of the Lord being a “strong tower” recently took on a deeper understanding.
One of the many interesting sights we visited in Ireland took us back to the 6th century to the remains of the monastic community of Glendalough. Founded by St. Kevin and a small group of monks as a place for spiritual retreat, it grew into a thriving community. So thriving, that it became a target of plunder and destruction for Viking raiders.
But the monks were not defenseless. Central to Glendalough stands a round tower, over 100 feet high. When the Vikings tried to invade the community, the monks gathered all their treasures and ran to the tower. The door to the tower was 12 feet above the ground, and accessible only by a rope ladder. When the monks pulled up the ladder, the Vikings had no way of reaching them. The monks waited them out until the Vikings literally turned tail and ran back to their boats!
These righteous men, like those described in Proverbs 18:10, knew what to do in the face of trouble. They recognized their need for something bigger, something stronger, than themselves to be their defense. They needed a strong tower.
And when the enemy comes to raid our souls, so do we.
The Psalms reinforce the thought of God as our strong tower. God stands as our rock, our stronghold, our deliverer, our place of refuge. He is the one we can run to for protection in difficult times (Psalms 144:2; Psalms 18:2; Psalms 61:3). Just like the tower at Glendalough, the enemy has no access to us as long as we remain in the fortress of God’s protection.
But sometimes, I think we forget to pull up the rope. We let negativity, doubt and fear dangle in the battle and give the enemy footing. God is our strong tower, but we have a part to play. We have to pull up the rope. Cut off any entry to our soul.
So, friend, the next time you sense some menacing Vikings on the horizon, don’t wait for the ship to land. Run to the tower. Pull in the rope. And thank God for the victory.