Those who live in the shelter of the most high

Knowing we are under His protection, under His provision and under His great spreading love for us we can enter His rest, drop our shoulders and relax

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There are many seasons of our lives and only in looking back can you truly see them. While you are travelling through them, they are just where you are at that time, and you react to whatever is happening to you or around you. But they are seasons, and just as the seasons of the year effect what we do, what we wear and how we feel, the seasons of life do the same. We were staying at friends recently and visited the amazing National Trust property at Dunham Massey, Cheshire. The house was closed so we walked around the gardens and parkland. It was truly spectacular, one of the best we have visited. But I did notice that as the 4 of us are now advancing in years a little and have a variety of parts of us that are not as fluid as they used to be, in addition for looking out for all the wonderful plants and scenery, we were also looking out for benches upon which to sit and catch our breath or rest our legs. All of us were reflecting upon how these days our bodies seemed to hold us back from things we used to do or wanted to do, and there was an element of sadness around that. However, at one point had we not been sitting down taking a breather, we would not have seen the lovely green Parrots that had taken up residence recently at the park. They flew around us squawking and swooping and was a lovely sight to be seen, and we felt privileged that we had been able to see them. But we would have missed them if we had been walking quickly and not observing the things around us from a stationary position.  

This thought got me thinking about another stationary position I had been in recently. I spent many hours sitting by the bed of my dear mom, and during those times I would like to read her some verses of Hymns and psalms from a little book she had. One of our Favourites was Psalm 91. “Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty” (Verse 1 NLT) This always brings to mind the Lord being like a massive spreading oak tree under who`s shade I am resting, safe from the sun and from rain showers with my back tucked up against his massive trunk so that nothing can sneak up on me from behind. A place where I might relax and maybe doze in the shadow of the tree. We have been thinking about entering into the rest of the Lord, and its under the shadow of the Almighty we can enter into that rest. Knowing we are under His protection, under His provision and under His great spreading love for us we can enter His rest, drop our shoulders and relax because “He alone is my refuge, my place of safety he is my God and I trust Him” (verse 2 NLT)  Safe in the knowledge that He will cover me with His feathers and shelter me with His wings and that “His faithful promises are your armour and protection” (verse 3 NLT).

Sometimes when we are brought to a place of being stationary in the Lord because of situation, circumstances, illness or a thousand other reasons, it can be an uncomfortable place, a place where we think nothing is happening and we can be frustrated because we want answers, action, resolution!  But it is in this place the Lord often has time to remind us of what He has done and said over the years. As I sat with Mom reading these words, I often would reflect on all the promises the Lord had fulfilled in my life and her life, He would remind me of all the prayers I had prayed (and often forgot I had prayed) that He had answered to the last little point.  Had I not been resting under His shelter I would not have been reminded of these.  Some of the promises He reminded me of, encouraged me to stand on promises He had given me for other circumstances in my life other things I was relying on Him for. The Lord often takes the resting time to prepare us for action, for battle, for thanksgiving, by focussing our thoughts of His provision rather that racing ahead in our own strength.

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There is another place where we are stationary, when we are asleep at night. When I was young, I used to think that the verse “Do not be afraid of the terrors of night, nor the arrow that flies in the day” (verse 5 NLT) related to actual dangers and physical arrows, and I`m sure to the psalmist they were, as he was living in a time when people were attacked during the night or shot at during the day. But honestly that has not been my experience. But I face equal dangers in the thought world. These terrors of night can be equally dangerous. The thoughts that assail you in the dark of the night, the fears, the doubts, the worries and concerns that swirl around your head when you cannot sleep and everything seems big and out of control. The fear that can grip your heart during these times can be as real as any marauding enemy with clubs and spears. And the arrow that flies by day is often the guilt we feel in the calming light of day when everything returns to normal and fears diminish with the dawn. The arrow of guilt that we allowed ourselves to be so overcome with panic and fear often makes us feel ashamed before the Lord, and shame always brings a sense of separation and isolation. But look what the Lord says “If you make the Most High your refuge, if you make the Most High your shelter no evil will conquer you; no plague will come near you home. For He will order his angels to protect you wherever you go. They will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.“ (verses 9-11 NLT). The Lord does not even want us to have a spiritual stubbed toe. His desire for us is to be strong and unafraid in Him no matter what is assailing us because He is our protection, He is our sufficiency, He is our safe place. He is the one who will enable us to “trample upon lions and cobras, and crush fierce lions and serpents under your feet” (Verse 13 NLT). So at times when we are assailed by the terrors and arrows that stop us in our tracks, lets take time to again come under the shelter of the Almighty, to make Him our refuge and shelter, acknowledging His protection and to rest in the knowledge of the promises of His word.

“I will rescue those who love me. I will protect those who trust in my name. When they call on me, I will answer, I will be with them in trouble. I will rescue them and honour them. I will reward them with a long life and give them my salvation. (Verse 14-16 NLT)

So long life, what does that mean. I have often wondered about this because as we know some people live to be very old like my mom who lived to 96 but some Christians don’t, does that mean the Lord has not rewarded them. Of course not. I think, and like Paul says often these are my thoughts, long life comes in many forms. The thief on the cross had only hours or minutes to live once the Lord had given him the gift of salvation. Not a long life you would say, but a long life in eternity with God. But also, a long life in this world as his testimony of salvation and reaching out to Jesus has endured 2000+ years, and been used in many gospel messages. So I believe when believers die they live a long eternal life with the Lord, but they also leave a long lived testimony with those left here. I’m sure we can all think of things that those who have passed have said to us, or modelled by their life or have written down in books etc. that have lived long in our hearts or in the world as a testimony of the life they have lived because Jesus rescued them and they trusted Him. This is a blessing to us that remain and a reward to them that have passed before. 

So, Lord my prayer today is that you will enable me to be aware that the stationary times in my life are as valuable as the active and battling times. That your promises are true and enduring in all circumstances and that your desire is that I remain spiritually strong and protected by sheltering under your mighty refuge. And even if I have times of fear your desire is for me to focus on you in every situation so that I won’t even spiritually stub my toe. Lord thank you for your word which is so precious to us and such an encouragement.

Author: Jan Pearson

May God bless and enrich your life

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