Welcome to our new, daily blog.  Each day one of our staff will share a short devotional thought, a prayer emphasis, or what God is doing somewhere else around the world as a means of encouragement and to provide a way for us to be connected to you.  We’re looking forward to sharing our thoughts while we work through an interesting time in our world right now.  I’m so thankful that we have so many different platforms to reach out and share with you while we’re all a little more isolated from being around one another.  We may not be able to be in the same circles physically right now, but we can still experience life together as we connect with God and each other.  Enjoy our thoughts as we share with you.

Back on March 1st I decided I would take this month to journey through the book of Proverbs.  There’s no way I could have known almost three weeks ago what we’d be facing today, but God knew exactly what was about to happen.  As we’ve experienced some different and rapidly changing times over these last couple of weeks I have found such comfort and encouragement in Proverbs.  I’m simply taking one proverb each day and really focusing on the wisdom and instruction that can be found in that proverb.

A few days ago I worked through Proverbs 18 and there was one particular verse in that proverb that really struck me as I studied.  Verse 10:   The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.  Safety is always important, but right now it almost seems like a little bit of a bigger deal, doesn’t it?  Things are so uncertain and confusing.  It seems like what was true an hour ago has changed so much that it’s no longer true.  And yet with everything swirling around me this one, simple verse reminded me that I can always look to God.  In fact, I can always run to God.

The name of the Lord is not just a tower, but a strong tower.  Nothing can push Him over.  Nothing can tear Him down.  He can–and will–provide a strong, everlasting defense for us.  His strength and defense are not found in just the utterance of his name as if it were something mystical, but rather in His name as a declaration of His character.

Think about the character of God for just a moment.  Nothing we’re facing today will change His character tomorrow.  Because of who He is today you can find a strong and safe refuge in Him.  Go ahead, take a moment and declare who He is today to seek refuge.  In the words of an author you can simply declare:

–Lord, You are a God of love—so I find refuge in your love.

–Lord, You are a God of mercy—so I find refuge in your mercy.
–Lord, You are a God of strength—so I find refuge in your strength.
–Lord, You are a God of righteousness—so I find refuge in your righteousness.

Know that because of who God is there is strength and safety.  What will we face in the days ahead?  I don’t know, and neither do you.  But we can know this…who God is today is who He is tomorrow.  Run to Him and find complete safety.

Love and blessings,

Brad