“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High, will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.” Psalm 91:1
Tired? I bet we can all answer that affirmatively.
The mental stress of living in a pandemic wears a person out, body and soul.
I need rest. I bet you do too. We all need rest.
And, God wants to give us that rest. Psalm 91:1 promises rest for the one who dwells with God.
What is “‘dwelling’ in the shadow of the Most High”? According to dictionary.com, dwelling is to “live in or at a specified place.”
Does that translate into our staying in “safe” arenas: church, Christian venues, our homes; associating only with those of similar beliefs?
Is it a spiritual “shelter-in-place?”
No, of course not. (However doing just that would make life easier sometimes!)
We need to be wherever God is calling us. We do not need to be afraid of anything, any place, or any person. We can be in dangerous circumstances, yet, if God called us there, He will protect us.
Just be certain He is who put you there.
The second part of this verse promises that he who does that, will find rest in God’s shadow.
Trying to visualize this scenario brought back a childhood memory. When I was about eleven years old, my family built a new home. To dig the foundation for the house, my grandfather had piled a small mountain of dirt not far from the home site. The next year we needed to start some major earth moving so we could plant grass seed, forming an even lawn.
On a hot Saturday in July, my parents decided all of us, including me and my eight-year-old sister, would rake, sorting stones from the dirt and flatten that mountain into an even landscape . I remember pushing the heavy shovel into the dark dry earth, a dust cloud springing forth after each deposit.
After a few hours, my mom disappeared into the house, returning with Popsicles and water. My dad instructed me and my sister to sit down in the yard and take a break. Exhausted from the effort, we plopped right down there in our dirt pile, in the scorching sun. With sweat rolling off him, my dad stood over us, taking the brunt of the sun’s blazing rays; his shadow providing shade. My dad’s shadow protected us, providing a place of sweet rest.
A very simple example.
Yet, I think of how many times God has protected me in so many similar, simple ways.
God calls each of us to work, to accomplish things for Him. He also calls us to rest in Him. At the end of the day, we do not need our minds racing into overdrive, speeding to locate an elusive answer.
We are called to do what He has assigned for that day, and then allow Him to bless us with a restful respite.
He promises us in Proverbs 3 that our sleep with be sweet. I am sure I am not the only one who has spent more than one night tossing and turning! But He knows we need physical rest- He created us! He also commanded us to rest. (Deuteronomy 5.)
And He wants to supply us that rest. He tells us in Philippians 4 that He will carry our burdens, that we should surrender them to Him. That we should not be anxious about anything. He will hear our cries, tend to our cares, and fix our crises.
Today is a great day to surrender all our cares to Him.
Maybe like me, you need a friendly reminder that no matter what, God’s got this! Even when we face unfamiliar, uncertain, and unprecedented times, God still holds us lovingly in the palm of His hand.
We just need to dwell, or remain with Him. We need to allow Him to stand between us and whatever threatens to harm us. Allow Him to shield us. As my father did, God wants to shelter all His children from the elements that hurt them, worry them, and potentially harm them.
Let’s do the work He has called us to, casting our cares on Him. And at the end of the day, surrender to His gentle care as His promises to gift a sweet sleep.
Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, Thank You for Your promise to shelter me in Your shadow. Thank You for guiding me through today. You see. You know. and You help. Thank You that I can always count on You. Please help me to surrender my burden to You. Help me remember to stay with You, safe in Your shadow. In Jesus’ name, Amen.