He who lives under the protection of the Most High dwells in the shadow of the Almighty.     Psalm 91:1 HCSB

Psalm 91 is one of my favorite Psalms. It’s one that I turn to when I feel as though I am under attack. It reminds me that as long as I have chosen to live under God’s protection, I dwell in His shadow. I will find safety there. In the movies, we often see someone barricading themselves in a building for shelter. We see police officers crouching behind open car doors. Both of these types of cover can leave someone vulnerable to attack.

In SWAT school, someone had donated a car. We were allowed to shoot at the car and then look at the spots where the rounds went through. We could clearly see how hiding behind a door of a vehicle would not provide cover as these shots went straight through. The engine block provides good cover as does the door frame, but remember that frame is pretty narrow.

We have a choice to daily live under God’s protection. God does not run around with this protective umbrella forcing us to take shelter beneath it. But he freely offers it to us. Once we make the decision to live under his shelter, we are protected by living in His shadow. 2 Timothy 3 tells us that there will be many evil people in the end times. My friend, I feel that we are definitely in the end times. In verse 13, it says that evil people will become worse, deceiving and being deceived.

We should not be shocked when we see the terror that is going on around the world. But we should seek cover. We should find refuge in our Lord and Savior. Psalm 91:2 says, I will say to my Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust.” Its 16 verses go on to list the various snares and traps from which God protects His children. I encourage you to read the entire Psalm. When you feel as though evil is coming against you, it offers great encouragement.

My friend, this is the time to decide. Will you choose to live in God’s shelter? Will you choose to be protected from the evils of this world? I spent a great deal of my life choosing not to live under God’s protective shelter. I would try to duck in there when the going got rough, but then I would step out only to be shot down again.

Often times I never saw it coming. I would think things were going along just find and then I was attacked by the devil. It seemed to come out of nowhere. But having stepped out of the protection of God’s shelter, I was left vulnerable. I was wide open to attack.

I made a decision to stay in God’s shelter about 12 years ago. No more ducking in and out, I’m in here to stay. And you know what? It feels good in here. It’s safe and it’s warm. God is a good, good father. He protects us from whatever comes our way.

I am so grateful for having parents that made me feel safe and protected. I can recall going through a very difficult time when I was in my mid 20’s. Although I was all grown up, I can recall curling up in my dad’s lap and crying like a baby. It felt as though the world had been ripped out from under me. But I felt safe there in his arms.

My dad has since gone home to live in eternity in the protection of our heavenly father. But, praise God, I still have protection through our heavenly Father until I go to join him in heaven.

We’ve spent the last week talking about protecting ourselves (which is the church) from attack. The best way to be protected is to reside in a fortress that cannot be penetrated by evil. In order to do so, we must surrender to Christ. I used to wonder why anyone would not be willing to surrender to Him, but then I thought about how long it took me to do so.

I had sin in my life. I thought I couldn’t let it go, but I was so wrong. I came to Him a useless filthy rag and He cleaned me up and made me fit to serve Him. He washed my sins away and brought me into His protective care. I used to live to sin, but now I live to serve.

He wants to be your shelter. He’s waiting with open arms. Run to Him for cover today and be protected for eternity.

Have a great day!