Where Do You Live?
By J.B. Hixson, Ph.D.
07/13/2021
He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. (Psalm 91:1)
By the time I started high school, I had lived in nine homes in eight cities across six different states. The frequent moves were precipitated by my father’s corporate transfers with his employer. Such a transient life can be unsettling to a young child. I have memories of being paraded into a classroom in the middle of the school year as the teacher introduced the “new student” to the class. Sometimes my new teacher would ask me, “Where did you move from?” I often stumbled over the question, not because of the dangling preposition unbecoming of a schoolteacher, but because we moved so often that I honestly did not know the answer.
(By the way, I think it was Winston Churchill who famously quipped, “Ending a sentence with a preposition is something up with which I will not put!”)
Back to my point…For young children, the name of a city is not something that carries much significance. To kids, what matters most is knowing that home is where mom and dad live. As long as a child knows where his parents are, he knows he is safe and secure.
Such is the case with Christians. Jesus challenges us to abide in Him (John 15:4). This means to remain in close fellowship with Him. If we are walking with the Lord, it does not really matter where we are physically. It does not matter what we are going through at any given moment. When we are abiding in Christ, where we reside, where we go, or what we may face are all insignificant matters. We are safe and secure with Him.
One thousand years before Christ, an anonymous psalmist reminded God’s people, “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty” (Psalm 91:1). In other words, even when He is unseen, if we are close to the Lord, we are protected by His shadow. How do we stay close to Him? Through prayer and the Word of God. By reading and meditating on His word, we will develop an intimacy with Him that makes our physical surroundings inconsequential.
King David wrote, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me” (Psalm 23:4). Whether the pastures are lush with green grass and flowing waters, or the valley is deep and dark, the Lord is with us. Where are you living today? Are you living and abiding in Christ? Are you walking and talking with the Lord through prayer? Are you reading His Word? Never forget you are under the shadow of the Almighty.
07/13/2021
He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. (Psalm 91:1)
By the time I started high school, I had lived in nine homes in eight cities across six different states. The frequent moves were precipitated by my father’s corporate transfers with his employer. Such a transient life can be unsettling to a young child. I have memories of being paraded into a classroom in the middle of the school year as the teacher introduced the “new student” to the class. Sometimes my new teacher would ask me, “Where did you move from?” I often stumbled over the question, not because of the dangling preposition unbecoming of a schoolteacher, but because we moved so often that I honestly did not know the answer.
(By the way, I think it was Winston Churchill who famously quipped, “Ending a sentence with a preposition is something up with which I will not put!”)
Back to my point…For young children, the name of a city is not something that carries much significance. To kids, what matters most is knowing that home is where mom and dad live. As long as a child knows where his parents are, he knows he is safe and secure.
Such is the case with Christians. Jesus challenges us to abide in Him (John 15:4). This means to remain in close fellowship with Him. If we are walking with the Lord, it does not really matter where we are physically. It does not matter what we are going through at any given moment. When we are abiding in Christ, where we reside, where we go, or what we may face are all insignificant matters. We are safe and secure with Him.
One thousand years before Christ, an anonymous psalmist reminded God’s people, “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty” (Psalm 91:1). In other words, even when He is unseen, if we are close to the Lord, we are protected by His shadow. How do we stay close to Him? Through prayer and the Word of God. By reading and meditating on His word, we will develop an intimacy with Him that makes our physical surroundings inconsequential.
King David wrote, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me” (Psalm 23:4). Whether the pastures are lush with green grass and flowing waters, or the valley is deep and dark, the Lord is with us. Where are you living today? Are you living and abiding in Christ? Are you walking and talking with the Lord through prayer? Are you reading His Word? Never forget you are under the shadow of the Almighty.
No Comments