Refuge

Walls and towers were important parts of a biblical city’s protection. Many cities built high towers at the corners of their walls. These towers were hollow, with a staircase reaching to the top. Each served as a watchtower to spot invading armies and provide the defensive upper hand. The height placed archers at a distinct advantage as the enemy approached.

The fear of the Lord is not a cowering terror or dread. It is the honor and respect of the heavenly Father demonstrated by doing what he says. A person’s lip service does not equal an awe of God. It’s one’s obedience, even when no one else is looking, that confirms healthy fear.

God stands by the brokenhearted, but he doesn’t just stand by. He is not a passive onlooker or a well-wisher. He doesn’t need to go for help. He comes to us in our brokenness as the Divine Doctor, the Sovereign Surgeon, and the Holy Healer. He brings exactly what we need at the precise moment we need it—not a moment too soon, not a second too late.

What gives you confidence? What calms your heart? What makes you feel secure? A thriving economy? A secure job? Your person in the White House? A substantial retirement? A strong military?

God is not limited by time or space. He is present everywhere at the same time in his whole being. There is nowhere in the entire universe, on land or sea, that a person can go to get away from God.

The world is a shaky place in which to live. As I write this, the headlines give updates on several wars going on around the world. A hurricane is causing major damage and widespread power outages in parts of our country. Corruption charges are being brought against government leaders. There is no end to the political bickering.

“Love,” says A. W. Tozer, “is an essential attribute of God.” Tozer explains that all of God’s attributes are always at work together. One is never held back in order to emphasize another. Let’s think about what that means for us.

God’s love is something believers need to understand, accept, and apply. A. W. Tozer explains this attribute of God in his book, The Knowledge of the Holy.

Sometimes, we can feel it coming on, like a person who loses footing on a steep climb, and we can feel our emotions slipping. The waves of anxiety build until they crash into our hearts and drench our souls. Here it comes, the fear of uncertainty.