Who Is Trustworthy?
The name of the Lord is a fortified tower; the righteous run to it and are safe. Proverbs 18:10
In my early twenties, I shared an apartment with another single woman because I couldn’t afford to live alone. One day she and the young man I was dating admitted they’d been seeing each other behind my back. Their betrayal devastated me. One thousand miles away from family, I turned to the only refuge I had—the Lord.
Has someone’s betrayal wreaked havoc in your life too? Maybe you feel like the damage is irreparable. I felt that way when I had no other option but to live with my apartment mate until our lease ran out. Our friendship never fully recovered, and I was grateful when she elected to move to another state.
People fail us. We fail them too. Why? Proverbs 18 lists numerous human faults that lead to betrayal and other sins. We pursue selfish ends (v. 1), we delight in airing our own opinions too much (v. 2), we’re way too fond of gossip (v. 8) and we’re quick to answer before we listen (v. 13). But every time we’re hurt—self-inflicted or others-inflicted—we can run to our “fortified tower.”
You may be wondering why Proverbs 18:10 says the name of the Lord is our refuge. In Bible times, a person’s name was synonymous with his or her character. So, when the Bible says “the name of the Lord,” it’s referring to his character. God’s character never changes. He is good, loving, holy, just, wise, and forgiving all the time. His character is our rock, our foundation, our safe haven.
Safe in the certainty of God’s promises and character, we can recover from betrayal. Secure in his love, we can extend forgiveness to those who have hurt us. Confident of his goodness, we can move beyond damaged human relationships and rely more fully on God.
The Amplified Bible translates Proverbs 18:24 this way: “The man of too many friends [chosen indiscriminately] will be broken in pieces and come to ruin, but there is a [true, loving] friend who [is reliable and] sticks closer than a brother.” That reliable friend is Jesus.
Do you need to run to the fortified tower of Jesus’s character today? He’s waiting and ready to be your safe place. Trust him.
Dig Deeper
Proverbs 18:11 says that some people consider their wealth a “fortified city.” Why is wealth an unreliable refuge? (Consider 1 Timothy 6:17–19.)
In some scriptures God is called a “refuge” instead of a “fortified tower.” What does David say about God being his refuge in Psalm 31? How is God your refuge day in and day out?
David uses a lot of metaphors for God in Psalm 18:2. Which ones are most meaningful to you at this stage of your spiritual journey? Why?
Denise K. Loock
This devotion is part of our series on the book of Proverbs.