“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High Will remain secure and rest in the shadow of the Almighty [whose power no enemy can withstand].”
Psalms 91:1 AMP
It is inevitable that we face trying circumstances. Sometimes it feels as if we are taking two steps in front and three steps back, and the cycle keeps going on and on without rest given. And yet, these are the battles that we know we must fight because we have been called to them.
David had some excellent examples in handling battles (physical ones that he had to fight), and others that he faltered in (eg. giving in to temptations). He faced one of the worst pressures when king Saul was after him and he had other enemies as well. But what is worth noting in the midst of all these physical and mental battles he had to fight is how he strengthened himself in the Lord and adopted the posture of worship even when the going was tough.
If you read the psalms that he wrote, the instances of anguish from the mental pressures that he faced were not small. Yet in all the expressions of the difficulties that he faced, he had one single focus – God. To David, God had the answers. God was his hiding place. God was his refuge. There is none like Him. If there are phrases to describe his posture of worship and even engagement in the battles that he had to face, I can probably bring it down to some related words that include - rest, abide, remain.
For us who would like to see more “action” than “inaction”, resting, abiding and remaining in His presence is not a place of indecision. Our resting, abiding and remaining in His presence is a decision that we have deliberately taken on – that despite everything that seems to come against us, we have chosen to look to Him and from that position, respond where appropriate. It is not that we have chosen to do nothing but that we have chosen our posture of how we will subsequently engage with our circumstances. And that engagement comes out of – REST, ABIDING, REMAINING.
Dear friend, as you plough through the difficulties in life, let this be your guide. Read through the rest of Psalms 91. It has powerful insights that will unlock greater depths of what it means to lean into Him and do life at a whole new level.