The Shadow of the Almighty
Psalter Psaturday #112
Thank you for your patience during my ongoing illness.
Psalm 34 1:2
1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High. Will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, My God, in whom I trust!”
Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg spends 10 million dollars each year on personal security[1]. The U.S. Government spends 75 billion dollars yearly on national security, and you, me, and everyone else put our money in banks. We carry keys to locks that protect everything important to us. Security is essential to all of us. We do not want to lose what is important to us; we want the people we love to be safe. We seek security because we live in a threatening world.
The threats are real and come in many forms; some are subtle, and some are outright attacks. This is an evil world, stronger than us, and has the advantage of not playing by the rules. The world is “ruled” by Satan, as much as the Lord will allow. Satan is out to destroy the Church, and he has considerable influence over what the world will do to destroy the faith of believers, one believer at a time. Frankly, we are no match for the prince of the power of the air. Still, the Lord is building His Church, and the “gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18). It is clear “the reason Satan is called a prince rather than a king is that there is only one King—Jesus Christ.”2 As believers, we are under constant attack. We have no hope without the Lord; he is our best defense.
Dwells in the shelter - I will only pause on the meaning of shelter for a short time. It does not matter whether it's an umbrella or a concrete bunker; both are shelters providing protection, and we should be grateful for God's faithful protection, which also comes in various forms. We are prone, though, to step outside the shelter when the storm has passed. We believe we can handle the dangerous ground when the threat does not seem so present; it isn't felt or sensed, but God's protection is not a temporary blessing. He is not a panic button that we push for extra protection when we are up against the wall. We are to dwell in the shelter of the Most High. We must trust his protection regardless of how we assess the threat. Our heavenly Father understands the dangers more than we can or our inability to handle them. Let him do it. We should already be taking shelter in the Lord when trouble comes. We should trust, hope, wait, and seek God's lead.
Abide in the shadow of the almighty - Abide brings "dwell" to a deeper level. When we abide, we are home. We choose to remain and stay as close as possible, that is, in the shadow of the Almighty. Close to and covered by our Savior, that's where we reside. Many times, the term "in the shadow" is a derogatory term. To be in one's shadow is to be less than desired or in a weaker (real or imagined) position. To be in the shadow of the one true Almighty God is a place of wisdom and honor. As his children, he reserves a place for us; why would we ever disregard it?
My refuge and my fortress - God is the shelter in which we live; he is as close as a shadow. He is also our refuge of contentment and peace and a protector of great fortitude. You do not have to look long in Scripture to find explanations and promises of our Lord and Savior's depth, surety, and everpresent protection. All that we need to know about his personal and comprehensive care is there, from Genesis 28:15 to Revelation 12:9. The Lord is there to be your shelter from the storms of life. This does not mean there are no storms; it means we can survive them.
My God whom I trust - Sometimes, I desire a course of action or a situation that the Lord withholds, and sometimes, he lets me see the unfortunate outcome that "may have been" had I gotten my way. These are great opportunities to see the reality of God's protection. He is the refuge that gets us through when we grieve, suffer, fear, and weep in distress. When we need shelter from our naivete, ambition, and will, he is also the stronghold that pulls us out of harm's way in small situations or big! We must choose to trust that the shelter and fortress of God's protection is always there. King David finds rest, contentment, and safety because he truly trusts God as his dwelling place of security.
The key is trust. We will never feel protected if we do not trust our protector. Learn to trust your protector, and you will live a contented life.
Meditation Point
What might tempt you to leave the security of God's shelter, even temporarily?
What strengthens your trust in the Lord?
[1] https://www.forbes.com/sites/kristinstoller/2019/03/13/while-the-wealthiest-american-billionaires-got-richer-corporate-spending-on-their-personal-security-didntexcept-at-facebook/?sh=705decd55e05
Abiding under the shadow of the Almighty is a cherished protection. We never need to fear. "Even though I walk through the valley of the SHADOW of death, I fear no evil. For He is with me" (Psa. 23:4). Thanks for your comforting devotional.