“The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe.” Proverbs 18:10
For the rest of this week, this day, or even in this hour, you and I will be faced with challenges, unexpected sorrows, and fears. We might remind our souls, “Bless the LORD, O my soul,” but sometimes we can’t figure out how to shake the feelings of gloom or meet the day’s shadows with eyes on the unseen. I know what I must do (I must trust the Lord!), but some days I find my courage waning and my heart growing faint.
While we will always battle this flesh until our souls rest in their eternal home, God has provided a shelter and hiding place through the minutes and hours of our days. And that hiding place is His name.
To run to God, we must know His name. His name reveals His character, His majesty, and His power. We throw ourselves upon Him in all that He has revealed Himself to be, and through His Spirit we find rest and strength and the power to follow His will and obey His words.
For example, one of God’s names is El Roi, the God who Sees. You can read in Genesis 16:1-16 about God’s gracious revealing of Himself as the God who Sees. How does the knowledge of His name and our trust in what we learn about Him change our day to day?
We tell our soul, “Bless the LORD, O my soul! He is the God who sees. He knows your frame. He knows that you are but dust. He is mindful of your sorrow, grief, and pain. He sees your inadequacy, and He has promised to never leave you or forsake you. He sees everything about you, and He loves you. He sees the situation you are in; you are not unnoticed by your God.”
In this very inadequate example, we find that hoping in God’s name is our shelter, because He is our strong tower. The chaos, noise, and cravings of this world grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace, and our wandering heart is tuned to sing God’s praise. Through eyes of faith, we glimpse God’s nature, and His glory plunders our heart’s affections.
I write more about this topic and share with you how I dig into God’s Word to SEE HIM over at the Arabah Joy Blog. I hope your heart is encouraged and your soul will press on to know the Lord through sharing in fellowship with me around God’s Word and before His throne. ♥
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