I love it when God gives a Bible verse to help inspire and guide my prayer. Here is what God gave today: 

“Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.”
— Psalm 91:1 (NIV) 

Many verses I receive are straightforward and clear. Straightaway I am into prayer. Other verses tend to  have a depth which makes me stop and ponder for a while. Verse one of Psalm 91 seems to carry  something deeper. So, I grabbed my lexicons to help clarify such words as dwell, rest, shelter, and shadow. I must say that Hebrew words often portray a beauty inside that imagery. 

MOST HIGH – Two separate things have crossed my mind with the mention of this name. First, ‘Most High’ is all about unrivaled supremacy. God is beyond all else. He has no equal. No one is above Him. All  else is beneath. God is the sole one worthy of such a name. He alone is the ‘Most High.’ My second  thought led me to God’s own transcendence. I am the one who is far beneath Him. From where I stand, the ‘Most High’ is far above, far beyond, and far away. The gap between the two of us can be huge. 

SHELTER – The marriage between ‘shelter’ and ‘Most High’ is rather intriguing. While ‘Most High’ can  emphasize immense distance, the idea of ‘shelter’ is quite the opposite. The Hebrew word, sēter, which means – shelter, secret place, refuge, hiding place – represents a place of relational closeness.  

‘Shelter’ is about private conversation. A king summons his prophet. Once the prophet arrives, the king  ‘privately’ (sēter) asks: Is there any word from the LORD (Jeremiah 37:17)? When two lovers flee to a  mountain ‘hiding place’ (sēter), she lowers her veil, and affectionately speaks. He intently listens and  beholds the beauty of her face (Song of Solomon 2:14). ‘Shelter,’ this hidden secret place (sēter), can be an  intimate refuge where private things are said; hidden thoughts, personal fears, veiled hopes, secret  wishes. In the Psalms, David expresses this actual space as a shelter of his sacred tent (27:5), the shelter  of his presence (31:20 NLT), the shelter of his wings (61:4). Today, for all of us, such a shelter would be a  place where private and personal conversation happens.  

Not only is sēter a relational space, it is also known as a protective place. In the Psalms, the poet David  would say: You are my hiding place (sēter); you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs  of deliverance (32:7). Isaiah would describe God as a refuge (sēter) from the storm (32:2). Psalm 119 would  celebrate with these words: “You are my refuge (sēter) and my shield” (119:114). So, the word, sēter, a  word of relational engagement, would also become a word of personal protection. This begs a question:  Does intimate interaction with God help nurture God’s own protective care? Let us hold that question for a while. 

DWELL: Within the Most High’s shelter is where we need to dwell. The act of ‘dwelling’ literally means  to ‘take a seat,’ to ‘sit down.’ It conveys the idea of taking a seated position with the intention of staying or remaining. It is all about finding that personal spot with God, and engaging Him relationally. When  that place is finally found, we commit ourselves to stay, put in some time there, and remain. This place of prayer nourishes. It nourishes our relationship with God. It also strengthens our own security and  protection. 

Speaking personally, as I look back on my own life, when I often hurt the most, was exactly when I often  prayed the least. I was like a wounded dog that wanted nothing more than to lick my wounds alone.  When we hurt the most, this is when we need to pray even more. If words are hard to come by, then  flee into the shelter of God’s presence, and remain there with your tears. Simply emote before your God. 

REST: Some translations use the word ‘abide’ rather than ‘rest.’ The Hebrew word, lyn, literally means  to ‘stay overnight.’ It is like a hotel stay where throughout all the hours of your night you remain. Ponder  such an image: If we stay seated (DWELL) in private conversation with our God, then through our own  personal night (REST) we come to find ourselves beneath His shadow. 

SHADOW: The Hebrew word for ‘shadow’ is the word, sel. Hebrew lexicons often point out that the  image of a shadow (sel) is an image of protection. To be inside the shadow of a house or the shadow of  a person, is to be under the protective care of that house or special someone. 

In the Psalms, the poet David expresses it this way: … hide me in the shadow (sel) of your wings (17:8;  36:7). … I will take refuge in the shadow (sel) of your wings until the disaster has passed (57:1). Because  you are my help, I sing in the shadow (sel) of your wings (63:7). The very shadow of God was David’s protection. And, in relation to Psalm 91:1, the one who stays seated inside God’s intimacy will find  through the night the shadow of Almighty’s protection. 

When I reflect upon the image of a shadow, yes, that very image speaks of protection. But strangely,  such an image also speaks of a presence and proximity. When a shadow is close, so close to touch, so too is the closeness of that person. To rest in his shadow is to rest within his very own personal presence.  

ALMIGHTY: The ‘Most High’ has now come close. He is within a shadow’s touch. Not only is He absolute  in height. He is also absolute in might. He is the ‘Almighty.’ His power has no equal. Our refuge is secure. 

May your prayers become like ‘shelter talk’ where intimate words are said; hidden thoughts, personal  fears, veiled hopes, secret wishes. May you find that place and stay there, long and often. May you grow in your intimate vulnerability with he who draws close. And, in the long hours of your personal night,  may you come to see the shadow of he who has no equal.