June 30 – In the shelter of the Most High

Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him.  (Psalm 91:1,2  NLT)

This is known as the “Psalm of Protection” and many turn to it when they are in trouble. It was one of my mother’s favorites, and is a passage that always comes to mind when I am facing hardship, or when I’m counseling someone in trouble. “A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you” is something I have quoted ten thousand times or more.

God is a protector, as a Father it’s in His nature to protect, but He doesn’t protect everyone. A father protects his own, not the children of others. He might if he sees them being abused, but basically his children are his responsibility, and other people’s children are not. That’s why this psalm starts off speaking about people who “live in the shelter” and “find rest in the shadows.” If we want to see great things from Him we have to act like His children by living in His shelter and finding rest in Him. Unless we take these actions, we cannot expect God to do anything that He promises in this psalm.

If we live in the Most High’s shelter and find rest in the Almighty’s shadow, we have to be close to Him. You can’t be in someone’s shadow when you’re miles apart. This means that we have to actively, throughout the day, turn our thoughts to Him and trust that He has our back. When problems come, he should be the first person we speak to. Prayer should be our very first response to any kind of trouble. When people come with doubts and bad news, we should immediately remember what the Most High has promised in His Word.

When we’re close to God we will naturally make powerful declarations similar to the ones in verse two — it’s one of the most natural things for people of faith, and one of the most unnatural things for people who have no faith. These powerful declarations are shocking and confusing for people of no faith, and when they come true (which they always do) they marvel at how we were able to do that. It’s simply a side-effect of living in the shelter of the Most High.