Proverbs 18

When you grow up in the church, you realize (once you’re an adult) that you are familiar with many phrases from the Bible that you’ve never actually thought about before. That happened to me today as I read this chapter of Proverbs. Had you heard this verse before? “The name of the Lord is a fortified tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.” (vs 10)

I had not only heard it many times, but it is part of a favorite praise song of mine by Paul Baloche titled Your Name. But as I read it today, I suddenly thought, what does that really mean? God’s name is a strong tower? Why not just say God is a strong tower? Why put the emphasis on His name?

And then I began to think about God’s name. Actually, there are a lot of names for God given in the Bible, but there is only one He gave for Himself: “Moses said to God, ‘Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, “The God of your fathers has sent me to you,” and they ask me, “What is his name?” Then what shall I tell them?’ God said to Moses, ‘I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: “I AM has sent me to you.”‘” (Ex 3:13-14)

When God revealed His “name” to Moses, it was I Am. I think it’s no coincidence that God describes Himself in the present tense. This is where He lives—at least in relationship to us. As One who stands above and beyond Time, He can certainly traverse our past and future, but in order to relate to us and be with us, He must enter into our present moment.

God is fully alive and present to us at every moment. And His promise is, “I am” in every moment. I agree with other Bible commentators who suggest that this phrase speaks of God being the “becoming one,” that He is able to be whatever we need Him to be for us.

If we need comfort, He says, “I am comfort.”
If we need peace, He says, “I am peace.”
If we need forgiveness, He says, “I am forgiveness.”
If we need healing, He says, “I am your healer.”
If we need discipline, He says, “I am your disciplinarian!”
Whatever we need, He says, “I am!”

Only God can provide this sort of safety, security, and assurance. (How many other things in life do you know that can adapt themselves to your every need?) Yet it’s amazing how many other things we try to put our trust in instead. In fact, immediately following this verse, Solomon described a common thing people trust besides God: “The wealth of the rich is their fortified city; they imagine it a wall too high to scale.” (vs 11)

Every other “tower” will crumble. Every other “security” will fail. The only strong tower to run to is God (and the key to understanding why is in His name). He knows our every need, and only He is able to provide for our every need. When all our other “strongholds” fail us, God will still be there—steady, strong, consistent. He is and will be whatever you need.