Daddy's House

I’ve written on this scripture several times because it’s one of my favorites. Psalm 91:1 grows deeper and truer every time I read it. Let’s take a few moments to break it down.

Those who dwell in the shelter (the house) of God will rest in the shadow—His grace, blessing, and the protection of His almighty power. There are several beautiful points here. First, dwelling in God’s shelter: a shelter is a house, and when you stay in God’s house, you’re afforded the security of His shadow. The beauty of that shadow is this: when the sun beats down, scorching everything around you, you can rest in its cool, comforting shade.

When the world is falling apart, you can be confident and joyful because you are in God’s house, resting in His shadow. When everyone is worried about wars and rumors of wars, you can have complete peace because you are resting in your Heavenly Father’s shelter and shadow. Many people would hate to live in someone else’s shadow, but for believers the only place to truly have peace, love, and joy is in our Father’s shadow.

There are many blessings that come with living in our Father’s shelter—food, clothing, and provision (Matthew 6:19–33). However, when you live in Daddy’s house, you also abide by Daddy’s rules (John 14:15). This is where the internal struggle can begin if we’re not careful. Many of us want to rest under Daddy’s roof, eat Daddy’s blessings, and be protected by Daddy’s shelter—all while disobeying Daddy’s rules. Is it fair to expect the shadow without the abiding? Would it be fair if your child asked for an allowance without doing his or her chores?

God owns “the cattle on a thousand hills” (Psalm 50:10) and can bless us beyond anything we could ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:20), so the issue is never God’s supply. Speaking for myself, I have needs I want to see met—and if you’re like me, there’s always a demand for more of God’s presence and blessing. If there is plenty of supply and more than enough demand, then the only disconnect is our willingness to abide by the rules.

If abiding is the only thing separating us from an unlimited supply of blessing in the shadow of the Most High, that leaves one question: Can we abide long enough to be blessed in the shadow?

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