"He who dwells in the secret place of El'yon rests habitually in
the protective shade of Shadai. He says of ADONAI, "My refuge,
and my stronghold, My God, I trust in Him."
For He delivers you from the snare of the trapper, and from the
deadly plague. With His feathers He covers you, and under His
wings you will trust. A shield and surrounding wall is His truth."
T'hillim (Psalms) 91:1-4
"The secret place of El'yon...the shield and surrounding wall of His truth..."
It's not a fictional place made up in our minds-these are not colorful metaphors
created to lull us into an artificial sense of comfort. And yet, this place of
protection is only as real as we allow it to be. If we don't believe that it's there,
how can we ever visit? And if we never visit, how can we "rest (there) habitually?"
It's a real place, all right-we just seem to have a little trouble finding it at times.
Perhaps the problem is that we're looking for the wrong kind of structure.
It's a "secret place" so we think it must be camouflaged and difficult to detect
against the landscape. It's a "stronghold" so we expect it to be made with
some kind of rigid, indestructible material. It is a "shield" so we must not
be able to see through it; and it has a "surrounding wall" that must be
too tall to scale or too wide to get around.
So we wander to and fro, searching for this mammoth compound.
As the blazing sun radiates unceasingly and the heat of the day causes us to
grow weary and perspire, we search endlessly for that gargantuan shelter
of refuge. Finally, spying a meager spot of shadow on the ground, we settle
in-fatigued- to cool off and catch our breath for a moment. Worn out, we
lie down-and in no time at all, we fall peacefully asleep. But when we
wake, we panic in our self-inflicted insecurity, bolting out into the sun
again to find the comfort and rest we so desperately seek.
So much for the "shade of Shadai..."
Sometimes we make our relationship with El'yon so complicated that
we miss His provision-even when we're sitting right in the middle of it.
"His truth," without any additional fortification, is "a shield and surrounding
wall" for us. We only need to recognize it and rest in the shadow of His Word,
for then we will find all the shelter and comfort we need.
Let us say of ADONAI, "My refuge and my stronghold, My God,
I trust in Him," as we strive not for an impenetrable fortress,
but "rest habitually in the protective shade of Shadai."
El'yon, my mighty fortress; Shadai, my shield and strength-in Your shade I find
complete rest, and in Your shadow I am kept safe. I bless Your Name, ADONAI,
for I do not need to run hopelessly after You. Teach me to find peace in the
serenity of Your covering, and to trust that even Your lowest wall is higher than
anyone can climb. I rest in Your shade, Shadai-Almighty One, my God Most High...
"The Shade Of Shadai"
Kevin Geoffrey
Messianic Mo'adiym Devotional
(2007 Perfect Word Publishing)
A Ministry of Perfect Word Ministries
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