As much as we want to keep everything under control and not need anyone, life is not designed in that way. We are creatures who need one another, other creatures in nature, and above all, we are beings who need God. We need Him for every part of our life and as a perfect father, He is there for our every need according to His good will. He is our true God, our life, shepherd, provider, healer, redeemer, our stronghold, and so many things that are life-giving to our desperate human nature. We see in the Bible that God expresses Himself by His name, and His name represents His nature and glory. (Exod 33:18-23).

For the many amazing natures He has, there is a corresponding name, and one of the glorious names of **God is Jehovah Misqabbi/ Jehovah Misgab, God my high tower**. The word “Misgab” comes from a Hebrew verb "sagab" which primarily conveys the idea of being exalted, often figuratively. It can refer to physical height or elevation, but more frequently, it is used metaphorically to describe a state of being exalted or protected. Thus, Misgab means refuge, stronghold, and high tower. It represents a place of safety, protection, or defense, and in our context, it is used metaphorically to describe God as a refuge or stronghold for His people. It conveys the idea of a secure and elevated place offering protection from enemies and danger.
Jehovah Misgab is one of the famous names of God, mentioned in various places, especially in Psalms, declaring God to be a place of safety. One of David's Psalms, chapter 18, states: “The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and the One who rescues me; My God, my rock and strength in whom I trust and take refuge;My shield, and the horn of my salvation, **my high tower—my stronghold.**” (Psalm 18:2, AMP). This verse portrays God as a high tower of refuge, allowing David to see enemies from a great distance and remain protected.
**God as our high tower is a comforting aspect of His nature, bringing peace to our souls as we face the daily reality of a world growing less safe with each passing day.**

In Psalm 18:2, before the psalm begins, there is a little introduction about this specific psalm, and it says, “A Psalm of David, the servant of the Lord, who spoke the words of this song to the Lord on the day when the Lord rescued him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul.” I love this intro because it highlights that the Lord rescued David from the hand of all his enemies, and it comforts the deepest parts of me in need of rescue. Through this word, the unchanging nature of God is a promise to all of us today that we will be rescued not from some of our troubles but from all of them. We should go to our high tower not just for some of our problems but for all of them, for He can and will deliver us from each one.

God sits in the highest place, and nothing can change that. The only exception is the time when Jesus willingly came down to earth in human form (while still being fully God though), so that He might seat us in heavenly places with Him. Other than that, God sits in heavenly high places (Philippians 2:6-11, Ephesians 2:6). Heaven is a place that the world can’t fully understand, an inaccessible realm, except to those who are in Christ. “The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the [consistently] righteous man [upright and in right standing with God] runs into it and is safe, high [above evil] and strong.” (Proverbs 18:10, AMP)

Sometimes, what we need is not for our circumstances to change, but to run to the Highest place there is and rise above the situation. The world has problems and will continue to face even more, but we need to remember that we have a "Misgab - High Tower," a stronghold into which we can run and be safe. There is a heavenly place that Jesus gave us access to, and it is possible to be ‘above all evil’ by running to the one seated in the highest place.

Proverbs 18:10 has another layer to it, in addition to the idea that ‘being with God will place us in an unreachable state from whatever we run from,’ and it is found in the term “running.” It is interesting that the righteous, in Proverbs 18:10, run to God, even though there are many other things they could run to. In this section, I just want to ask: Where are we running to when life happens? When the mundanity of life gets loud and routine takes away our sense of purpose, leaving us depleted, where do we run to? When depression hits, with the yawning emptiness heavy on our hearts, when we find ourselves in places we shouldn’t be and feel disappointed in ourselves, when the unstable nature of the world blows in a feeling of terror and destruction, where do we run?

What do we do when we fail at something and regret wants to get cozy in one corner of our head? When we stumble into the darkest time of our lives, where do we run to? Do we run to the counterfeit high tower, seeking a temporary escape from these feelings? Do we get busy, hoping that the things we are trying to avoid will diminish in the bright shades of busyness? Do we turn to friends, food, sleep, or scrolling, just to keep ourselves occupied? It is important to know the answer because where we run to in times of trouble says a lot about where our hope of being rescued is placed—and what or who our high tower truly is.
As shiny and full of momentary excitement with instant gratification as they are, all the things we run to, other than God, can’t rescue us. They delude us into being okay with the situation by giving us momentary breaks. But these things leave us even more depleted, worn out, and emptier than we were before. These high places are empty promises of bliss. Another high place, other than God, is like dew before a hot sun—high, but not truly high. It is a counterfeit, imitating what God can provide, offering a shortcut to the presence our souls truly need. God is the one true high tower, the only One capable of rescuing us from whatever life throws at us. In Proverbs 18:10, it is a call to run to God, just as the righteous did, and rise above the problems we face.

I have a huge admiration for people who hike as a hobby because, as for me, I once found myself in the middle of a hike, barely even at the intermediate level, completely exhausted and asking myself why I was doing this to myself as a sane person. I even wondered if I should just sit where I was and wait for the others to go and return from the destination view (which would take them over 2 hours). I was also really frustrated with the people who were enjoying it, they were like annoying reminders that I was very weak. At one point, I couldn’t take it anymore; I just wanted to lie on the ground and cry for hours. Seriously, hiking is hard, and it’s just not my kind of hard.

And I feel like it resembles some of the state we go through in our walk with God. As powerful and appealing as it sounds to run to a high tower, to our God, it is also not always easy. God is the highest place we could ever go to, and climbing up to Him takes a spiritually capable body whose strength is gained over time. We live in a modern time where ‘simple life’ is our motto. Everything is easier, nearby, and life has many fancy aspects now that are easily reachable. One of the worst things about this is that, as humans who survive by adapting to circumstances, we get used to life being easy. And when the topic of going up to God arises, we find it hard, it requires an effort against our flesh, and we tend to give up on seeking Him easily. We give up easily because it’s easier to become numb to the things we want to escape than actually make the effort to escape by seeking God’s face.
Because seeking God requires sitting in the quiet, trying to calm a wandering mind that wants to be anywhere but in prayer or in the Word. It feels boring, or more like a chore than an opportunity to connect with God and experience life. Our minds, uncomfortable with silence and boredom, resist the quiet time that purifies our souls and tunes them into the spiritual realm, so that we may start experiencing His presence. The constant company of distractions and entertainment has taught us to cling more to what is fun and easy over what truly matters, leaving us constantly running anywhere but to God. Yet God wants to be our only stronghold, the One we run to for safety, joy, and fulfillment.
Seeking God may be hard, but it is worth it, for the promise of being safe and protected in the presence of our High Tower God. God promised us that as we seek Him, He will be found (James 4:8, Jeremiah 29:13, Isaiah 55:6, Zechariah 13:9). If you are in a state of life where you are too tired to run to God for safety, this is a sign to walk to God; and if you can’t walk, crawl. However slow your steps are, just start moving toward God. One thing I’ve learned about God in my walk with Him is that when we take one step toward Him, He is already 10 steps closer. As you move toward Him, our God, who draws near to us when we draw near to Him, will help you get to Him.

https://biblehub.com/hebrew/4869.htm

https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/psalm-18/

Upon Waking: 60 Daily Reflections to Discover Ourselves and the God We Were Made For —Devotional by Jackie Hill Perry