“Whoever goes to the Most High for safety
Whoever remains under the protection of His wings,
Can say to the Lord….” Psalm 91:1
Are you familiar with psalm 91? It is such a powerful psalm for confidence in God’s protection. This psalm is one of those that my mum taught me growing up. I learned all the verses and could recite them from the beginning to the end by heart. But I never paid much attention to the first verse until a few days ago. So how could I, for years, skip paying attention to what should be the prerequisite to enjoying lasting protection and getting the promises added to it?
Psalm 91:1 (NIV version) says, “Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, ….”
This means we must seek God out of our own free will. We know we will find Him (Jeremiah 29:13), and when we do, it is best to remain/dwell there and continually rest under the shadow of His wings for lasting protection.
To rest in someone’s or something’s shadows means you are very close in proximity to that person or thing, and that shadow protects you from feeling the intensity of the heat from the sun, for instance. Therefore, resting under the shadow of the Almighty is a conscious decision we make individually to dwell in God, know Him on a deeper level, and understand His protection even when things are not looking so bright on our end. In addition, it requires us to be very close to God and have a close relationship with Him through constant prayers and meditating on His words (the scripture). Then we can confidently rise above the situation and say in verse 2, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.
Now, you can continue reading from verse three to the last verse to see all that we will enjoy once we have decided to remain under the shadow of His wings.
The truth is that it might not seem that way to us because of the different challenges we face. However, remember that God is always in control. I don’t know about you, but sometimes I ask why believers suffer too. Then I get my consolation from the story of Job. He is the perfect example of this psalm, and I am sure his story resonates with many of us.
Whenever you can, read the story of Job. The beginning of the verse introduced Job as “blameless and upright, he feared God and shunned evil” He did everything in a way that pleased God. So, it seemed like Job had found God and decided to remain under the shadow of His wings. He had that deeper level of understanding of God that gave him so much confidence. This confidence is evident in his responses to his wife (Job 2:10) and friends.
I pray for that level of confidence in my life and for you reading this post.
Regardless of his uprightness, he was not immune to trials and tribulations. None of us are. He lost everything he had, everything. In addition to all that loss, the devil afflicted him with a disease. Yes, he questioned God as we all do, trying to understand why. He even cursed the day he was born but never wavered on his faith, and never for one day did he curse God.
The part that fascinated me in Job’s story is that even with his troubles and adversity, he still did not hold back on praying for his friends.
Finally, God restored and rewarded him with all mentioned in psalm 91:14-16 because He saw that Job truly loved Him. God brings restoration in different ways. It might not necessarily follow the same route as Job. Just trust that He has everything under control.
In this world, we all, believers and unbelievers, face trials and tribulations, and we have one of two ways to go about it. It’s either with God and experiencing His peace, protection, and companionship even amid trials or without God where fear alone can engulf us. Therefore, I strongly suggest we walk along with God, and He would hide us under the shadow of His wings, where we will not feel the intensity of the heat of the situation.
Remember, our children are looking up to us too. They learn a lot from how they see us react to different situations. If they notice fear, anxiety, and a feeling of hopelessness, it possibly might rub off on them. But, on the other hand, if they see unwavering faith, constant communication with God through prayers, and confidence in us even in trials, that builds their confidence too. Let them know the reason you are hopeful and confident.
I thank God for offering us the opportunity to dwell under such powerful protection. Of course, he did not have to do that, but he is faithful and merciful.
May God help us make that conscious decision to find him and remain in Him so that we may continually be covered under the shadow of His wings, even through the storms. Thereby, enjoy everlasting peace and confidence. Let us continue to pray and encourage each other. I love you all!
May God bless you all and your families.
Ngozi