He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in Him I will trust.” —Psalm 91:1–2
My wife and I are like many other couples in that I am usually hot and she is often cold. This is never more evident than when we do one of our favorite things to do on a day off, which is to walk through an outdoor mall near the ocean. On a bright sunny day, you can catch glimpses of the sun shimmering on the water as you walk between the buildings of the mall. Half of the walkway lies in the sun and the other half is in the shade, and—you guessed it—my wife walks in the sun and I walk in the shade. But there are other times when we both appreciate the shade. If we are in the desert or if it is the dead of summer and the weather is extremely hot, shade is a blessing to both of us.
The psalmist tells us that God is a shade when the heat is all around us. He (likely Moses) says it is a secret place that provides a fortress and refuge for all who trust in the Lord. In other words, knowing God brings us shade when all others are searching for refuge from the heat. The analogy of God as a shadow is both picturesque and purposeful. A shadow changes nothing in the environment, but if it is hot outside, the shadow provides shade and refuge from the heat—as long as you take advantage of it.
But spiritually speaking, sometimes we choose to remain in the sun though we could find refuge in His shadow. That’s what we do when we face struggles on our own or when we look for an exit in a trial rather than running to Him for shade.
Think about this: if it’s really hot outside, what do you look for above all else? Shade! You and I have found it under the shadow of the Almighty. When things heat up around us, we have a refuge in God and are free to invite others to come in out of the heat. There is plenty of room under the shadow of His wings for any who put their trust in Him!
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