by Carel Chan
“Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.”
Psalm 91:1 (NLT)
The words, ‘live’ and ‘stay’, though of similar concept, they literally have different meanings. If someone lives somewhere, he/she is a permanent resident of that place. That place that I live is where I call home, a permanent place that I dwell in. On the other hand, to ‘stay’ is a continuous action which only takes place for a short period of time. When I choose to stay in a particular place, it is temporal and nothing permanent.
Psalm 90:1 (NLT), “Lord, through all the generations you have been our home!”
The Lord’s people have made their Home in Him for generations. He has provided shelter, protection, and safety to the godly for countless generations. In Him, our needs are met. I know that when I live in the shelter of the Most High, I dwell safely and am lacking in nothing. The Home protects us from the heat of the sun and the perilous storms. While some of our physical homes may not have been as reliable, the Home and the Shelter of the Lord is dependable and steadfast.
The Shelter of the Most High is the secret place where the intimacy of God’s presence can be found. It is the place where we dwell and find rest.
The Shelter of the Most High is the secret place where the intimacy of God’s presence can be found. It is the place where we dwell and find rest. After the day’s hustle and bustle, the Home is still the best place to return to. Yes, we may enjoy staying over a friend’s place for a while or go on a vacation for a couple of weeks or even months. But there’s nowhere close to going home after all the fleeting moments of excitement, fun, and pleasures. No doubt it is fascinating to be assigned to work in a foreign place for a few years, but the Home is still where we belong.
No matter what the span of time is that we have been away from home, deep in us, there is always a longing to go home because we are not designed by God to be nomads. Maybe you have drifted away from God momentarily; or maybe you have chosen to stay outside of the Shelter of the Most High because you have been distracted by the brief seduction of the worldly activities. Regardless of the reasons, the door to the Lord’s Shelter is never closed.
Those who dwell and live in the Shelter of the Most High will find rest and refreshing. Where is Home for you?