Psalm 91:1, New Living Standard

"He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty”

The word dwell means “to live in or be an inhabitant of.” Shelter refers to “a hiding place, covering, or protection.” Shadow suggests “shade, comfort, protection, and defense.” And abide means “lodge, live, spend the night.” The words of Psalm 91:1 speaks of someone who is totally comfortable and accepted into the house of the Most High God.

If we were to follow someone around, staying in their shadow the whole time, we would have to follow pretty closely. When we are in the shadow of the Lord, we are close to Him, in His presence. Psalm 91 says dwell in the shadow of the Almighty. To dwell means to stay, to live. We don't just want to visit His shadow, we want to stay there and to live there.

Dwelling in the shadow of the Almighty and abiding in the shelter of the Most High means trusting fully in the love of God, the power of God, to give you everything you need to do His will and glorify His name, whether you live or die. Or to say it another way: Dwelling in the shadow of the Most High and keeping yourself in the love of God means trusting the love of God, the wisdom of God, and the power of God to protect you from everything that could destroy you.

Dwelling in the shadow of the Almighty is the everyday experience of someone who is totally at home in the protection, comfort, and safety of the God of absolute power. It is getting closer and closer to that protective shade or shadow by daily prayer and Bible reading.

Dwelling in His shade is always thinking about God and trusting in Him has the Almighty as a constant companion. The Lord stretches His “shadow” or “protective shade” over the man or woman who sets up camp in His presence. Who spends time with Him.

To dwell in the “shadow of the Almighty” is to find complete and eternal rest and safety, no matter what we face in this life, in death, or in the life to come.

It may not be popular by the world's standards to live in someone else’s shadow. The attention and the spotlight are always on them. But it’s a blessing and a comfort to live in God’s shadow. 

A shadow offers shade. It gives us protection from the heat and danger. We enter God’s shadow through faith in Christ. He cleanses us, covers us, protects us, and bears the spotlight. Let’s glorify Jesus as we enjoy living in His shadow today!