In the shadow of Your wings

Psalm 91:1 NKJV

“He that dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.”

What does it mean to abide under the the shadow of the Almighty?

The word of God because it is living and active has the amazing ability to unfold deeper and richer truths to us as we continue to meditate on it. As we grow in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord we gain deeper insights.

I have been pondering the words of Psalms that speak about the shadow of the Almighty. Psalm 91:1

I remember a season of my life when the Lord spoke to me that He was going to hide me in the shadow of His wings. It was a difficult time with hard afflictions and so when He spoke this to me I thought, Great, then nothing bad will happen to me. However what I came to discover was not that all my trials went away (as I had hoped ) but that there was an increased awareness of the presence of God in my life. It was as if the Lord drew near to me and I discovered that when His grace drew near, I was no longer afraid of my trial. I still did not like it. I still wanted it to pass. But there were insights that began to open up to me through the difficult paths I was having to walk. It is hard to describe if you have not experienced it. There is an abiding grace to walk through hard places.

Psalm 91:1 in verse 1 says He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty…

There is a requirement and a promise…

Th requirement is to dwell in the secret place of the Most High.

Where is the secret place you may ask? I often find it in my living room chair, in the quiet of the early morning or the late evening with my Bible and journal.

Sometimes it is just wherever I am that I purpose to quiet my thoughts and open my heart in prayer to the Almighty. The secret place is a place of heart more than a physical place… It is the place I go to meet with my All Sufficient God, who comes to me whenever I humble my heart to call out to Him.

It is in the Holy place of worship, It is in the painful place of surrender of my will to His. It is wherever I step low and acknowledge that He is high. It is a place of humility. I used to just visit the secret place, but through long habit I have come more and more to live there. It used to be a hard place to go sometimes, but now it has become my place of safety and refuge.

The distractions of daily life will often keep us out of the secret place, or our to do lists or even just anxious diversions.

We live in times and seasons, some are busy seasons, some are working seasons, some are gathering seasons like the seasons of the year, each to it’s purpose. Spring to plant, summer to grow, fall to harvest and winter to rest.

So what of winter, what of those winter seasons of our lives that seem so barren , cold or silent, perhaps even stormy. What is the value of those seasons? You see I have come to discover that winter seasons are often a pathway to the secret place. In the winter everything that is external seems to wither and withdraw, But in the winter is when the roots of trees go down deeper into the soil. It is where they become rooted and stronger. As they push deep into the earth for food. The strength for the new life of spring is formed in the cold bleak winter.

Do you find yourself in a winter season? Have all the external beauties and fruits seemed to wither and withdraw? They are not lost, They are only resting and feeding in the secret place.

Like the mystery of the babe in the womb… fearfully and wonderfully made. New life is coming together. It is shaping , forming and growing, soon to spring forth in it’s appointed season.

Do not rush the mystery, If you trust the process It will be well.

Isaiah 43:18 -19

“Do not remember the former things, Nor consider the things of old. Behold I do a new thing now it shall spring forth, shall you not know it?”

Psalm 91:1 I said there was requirement and a promise. The requirement to dwell in the secret place is met with the promise. Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. Shall take up residence under the protection and provision of the All Sufficient God. The God who is eternally capable of being all that His people need.

Under the shadow there is peace and confidence that all will be well. That God will work concerning us. To bring about a right state of affairs, And even if at the moment all is not well. It will be. Therefore it is well with our souls. Our hearts can rest in assurance that God is taking care of us and we can rest in Him.

Proverbs 14:26

” In the fear of the Lord there is strong confidence. And His children shall have a place of refuge.”

If life is swirling around about you, find a pathway to the secret place, If circumstances have thrown you into a bleak winter season seek out your secret place.

The treasure lies there. The abiding presence of your All Sufficient

God is waiting there for you to come to Him.

Bring Him whatever you have, If you have trouble cast upon Him your cares. If you are grateful honor Him with praise and thanksgiving. If you are afraid bring Him all your fears and let His perfect love drive out all fear.

Lean upon the breast of your All Sufficient God and let His perfect peace overshadow you.

Don’t wrestle, nestle. As you walk on with God