A single object can be a source of comfort to one person and a source of fear to another. The same object can make one person breathe a great sigh of relief and another to recoil in terror. The one holding tight to the grip of a gun feels very differently about this firearm than the one who is staring toward its business end. The one who is being robbed feels very differently about the sound of approaching sirens than the one who is robbing him. It all depends on perspective.

All throughout the Bible, God reveals himself through the use of metaphors, pictures that are meant to tell us what he is like and how he relates to us. One of the images that appears repeatedly is that of a fortress or a tower, a castle or a stronghold. “The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,” says the Psalmist, “my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold” (Psalm 18:2). “Lead me to the rock that is higher than I,” he prays, “for you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the enemy” (Psalm 61:2–3). “The name of the LORD is a strong tower,” echoes the Sage, “the righteous man runs into it and is safe” (Proverbs 18:10). Like a castle upon a hill or like a tower upon a giant rock, God offers safety, refuge, and comfort to those who are his.
And often we find great encouragement in this word picture. When we are in times of fear and uncertainty, we understand that God offers safety and stability. When we are facing trials and even persecution, we claim the truth that God offers us refuge, the conviction that no matter what may happen to our bodies, our souls will be kept safe. God is the strong castle we run to for defense, for shelter, for protection. And what a blessing to know that he is present, that he cares, and that he takes action on our behalf.
But what about those who are not his, those who are his enemies instead of friends? When this is the case, the metaphor is one of fear rather than comfort, of terror rather than relief. For a castle or stronghold is there to defend you if you are on the side of its King but to destroy you if you are not. A tower brings joy to the heart if it offers a place of safety but dread if it offers a place of destruction. For how many have died attempting to storm a castle, attempting to scale its walls, attempting to break through its gates? How many armies have been broken and smashed against castles and strongholds?
Our God is a fortress, a tower, a citadel. Yet as we know, a single object can be a source of comfort to one person and a source of fear to another. How you relate to this metaphor all depends upon your position. If you are a friend of the King and have been welcomed inside the walls, there is no greater blessing, no sweeter comfort. If you are an enemy of the King and remain outside the walls, there is no greater curse, no more bitter terror. The Lord is a refuge—the righteous man runs within its walls and is safe while the unrighteous man is dashed against its walls and is destroyed.

It can’t be easy to be a young person today. I suppose it never has been, but it seems that today’s teens and young adults are forced to grapple with especially difficult questions. If that’s true of many different areas, it’s most notably true when it comes to matters of attraction, identity, and relationships. What was once crystal clear has become woefully muddy.

More to the Story

Jennifer Kvamme has worked with students for many years and is accustomed to helping them work through some of the big questions—questions related to sexuality, identity, intimacy, orientation, and so on. “I’ve watched middle schoolers grow into adults, listened as they shared their deepest struggles and highest joys, and seen Jesus heal pain and transform lives. I’ve heard their questions about God, life, and yes, sex. And I’ve grieved as I’ve watched students walk away from the church because they sensed judgment and exclusion and didn’t see how Jesus could be good news for them.”
And that is exactly what led her to write More to the Story—a book that is aimed squarely at an audience of teens and young adults. The title hints at where she begins the book—by explaining how God is telling a story in this world and how in that story sexuality is a glimpse of something deeper and more consequential. She traces the familiar storyline of the Bible to show that the God who created the world is now redeeming the world. And she explains how even our sexuality is a part of God’s design and his good plan.
With such groundwork in place, she devotes the rest of the book to ten big questions: Why does God care what I do with my body (if I’m not hurting anyone)? What am I supposed to do with such strong feelings of sexual desire? Why does it matter what pronouns I use? Why is sex “good” in marriage but “bad” before it? Along the way, she covers identity, gender, singleness, pornography, dating, abuse, and more.
Written from the perspective of a mentor to a younger person, Kvamme offers a perspective on sexuality that is firmly grounded in the Bible. She writes with compassion and concern but never wavers in her conviction that God’s way is the best way. She shows how the Bible is the only trustworthy guide for sexuality and that the best life is the one that is deeply submitted to the Lord. This is a book that can guide young people through the many fictions of the modern world to ensure they know there is much more to the story than they have been told.

I thoroughly enjoyed my time at The Master’s University and The Master’s Seminary (and also Grace Community Church). It was good to be in CA but it’s also good to be back home!
Westminster Books has a nice little collection of deals for you.
(Yesterday on the blog: He Was a Kind Man)

Randy Alcorn wants to make sure you don’t miss one of the neat stories at the Super Bowl.

Jonathan recently went to hear Jordan Peterson speak and came away with some interesting reflections.

Perhaps the most popular feature of Church Social, an online software platform for churches, is our messaging tool, which makes it possible for members to send the entire church community an email in just a few seconds. You can even send messages to specific groups, such as Bible studies, committees, and teams. (Sponsored Link)

Can gospel tracts still be helpful today? “Gospel tracts have a bad reputation, from the notorious Chick tracts to fake one-hundred-dollar bill tracts that surprise greedy souls with a five-step gospel presentation on the back. In fact, I assume most pastors of healthy churches avoid gospel tracts either because they don’t want to be associated with gimmicky evangelistic tactics or because they don’t think they’re helpful. So such tracts have no place in their bookstores or on their resource tables.”

“Just because we are free to do something in the Christian life does not mean we should. There are limits to Christian freedom.” Doug considers some of those limits.

“Hustle culture surrounds us. Every day, the world encourages women to turn our hobbies and creative endeavors into financial gain. Some may deem us untalented or believe we are wasting our skills if we don’t. But a woman who bakes is still a baker even if she never sells a single cookie. Someone who writes poetry is still a poet, even if she never publishes a poem. What makes us creative is not the world’s opinion of our art but the truth that we are all created beings.”

Don’t ever lose the wonder of this: You have peace with God.

The past couple of decades have seen an unprecedented rise in the use of pornography and an associated decline in the social stigma that accompanies it. Pornography has been downgraded from scandalous to humorous, from aberrant to mundane.

Suffering is common for all. However, persecution (which is a form of suffering) can be avoided. All you have to do is compromise.
—Voddie Baucham