“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.” Psalm 91:1 ESV
Although seemingly so simple, I’ve come to realize that being safe is a big deal for me. Perhaps it’s because I haven’t felt safe in certain environments or with certain people (after all, I didn’t start kickboxing just to get in better shape). Even now as I’m looking for a new house, a safe location is my top priority.
During the first lockdown drill at my new school, a police officer unlocked my door and said,”Ok, you’re safe.” And I cried, because I hadn’t known exactly what lockdown procedure was, but I didn’t expect someone to come to me and tell me I was safe. I didn’t realize until that moment how unsafe I’d felt in the past.
Recently, when I notice anxiety creeping in, I pause and tell myself,”You’re safe.” I can’t remember when or why I started doing this, but reminding myself that I’m safe has been very helpful in grounding my anxious thoughts in reality rather than spiraling cycles of angst. Then I ask myself some questions:
- Am I really unsafe right now?
- Why am I having these feelings?
- What change can I make in this moment to feel safe?
“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.”
Psalm 91:1 ESV
(Psalm 91:1. . . like 9-1-1. . . cool, huh?!)
Here are some words that jump out at me from this verse:
- dwells – live, establish a home, remain
- shelter – place providing safety
- Most High – Hebrew “elyon”, meaning “God Most High”; upper, above, highest
- abide – remain, lodge, continue, endure
- Almighty – Hebrew “Shaddai”; God of Heaven
And my response is verse 2:
“I will say to the Lord, ‘My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.’”
Psalm 91:2 ESV
The Hebrew-English Interlinear ESV Old Testament uses the name Yahweh in verse 2. This was Israel’s personal name for God. “When you pray to Yahweh, remember that he is the same God who draws near to save you from the tyranny of sin just as he saved his people from tyrannical slavery in Egypt.” (BibleStudyTools.com)
Our God of safety sees us. Our God of safety protects us. Our God of safety welcomes us to abide in Him. We need to trust Him.
I’ll leave you with this translation of Psalm 91:1-2 from The Message:
“You who sit down in the High God’s presence, spend the night in Shaddai’s shadow, Say this: “God, you’re my refuge. I trust in you and I’m safe!”
Do you ever feel unsafe? How does your trust in God affect those feelings?
