"He who dwells in the shelter of the most high will abide in the shadow of the Almighty." (Psalm 91:1 ESV)
Shadows move throughout the day. In the morning and evening, they are easy to follow. Mid-day, however, they are shorter and harder to track. In order to stay in the shadow of the Almighty all day long, we must draw closer as the day drags on.
The problem is our propensity to lag behind. We may start out well, the day gets going and we get busy; drug out of His shadow by the demands of work and the cares of life. Mid-day is our most critical hour, though, where we make decisions and soul connections. It is in the direct sunlight of full day that we most require God’s presence. Yet, this is where we typically seek Him the least, our thoughts are furthest from Him.
The Daily Office helps. A few set-aside moments three times a day slips us back into His shadow. It is those moments we recall who we really are and exactly why we are traipsing through this wilderness.
The Israelites followed a cloud, remember? And in the heat of the day, those closes to the cloud experienced the refreshing cover of His presence. The beating sun and the hard press of the journey compelled them to stay close, to tabernacle with Him through the hottest hours of the day. Surely we would do well to stay in His shadow during our most heated hours also.
"The Lord Himself watches over you! The Lord stands beside you as your protective shade. The sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord keeps you from all harm and watches over you as you come and go, both now and and forever." (Psalm 121:7-8 NLT)
Lord, today we recognize the comfort in Your shadow. May we purpose to stay in it, not just in the morning and evening, but in the heat of midday, too. Help us keep close when life is moving fast and furious. We long to stay in Your presence all through the day and night alike. Amen.