In the Shelter. In the Shadow.

By: Joanne Viola

“Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

(Psalm 91:1, NLT)

It’s one of those “go to” verses when we are in need of protection. So familiar and yet I wondered how I had ever missed one simple word. One verse stood out and brought such depth of meaning which I had overlooked before.

In.

The word which stood out was the word, “in”.

Am I staying in His shelter, in His plan, in His will for my life? Are you?

“The mystery and beauty of God coming to us in Jesus is that He is God with us and for us. But He doesn’t come close to us to keep us as we are. He come to us, calls us, and graciously changes us from the inside out. The God who is with us and for us asks us a difficult question: Are you with Me?”
(By Ruth Schwenk in Settle My Soul, page 108)

This verse is a call for us to “tabernacle” with Him for this is why He came to earth …

“So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.”
(John 1:14, NLT)

Jesus came to be with us, and for us, and to change us. He came to live within us so that we would be with Him. In a sense, He tethered Himself to us.

Tethered is defined as fastening one object to another. Sound familiar?

“Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heaven burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” 

(Matthew 11:28-30, NLT)

Our problem is not that He is not with us; it is that we are not with Him. He bids us to come to Him. He humbly and gently woos us to dwell, tabernacle, and yoke ourselves with Him.

For as we do we will discover that we can –

Live in the shelter of the Most High, and find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

How will you respond as Jesus asks today, "Are you with Me?" 

 

   

Photo by Sebastian Kurpiel on Unsplash