Resting in the Shadow of God - Your Nightly Prayer
Your Nightly Prayer
Audio By Carbonatix
By Rev. Kyle Norman, Crosswalk.com
Resting in the Shadow of God
Your Nightly Prayer for Apr. 16, 2025
By Kyle Norman
TONIGHT'S SCRIPTURE
"You who live in the shelter of the Most High, who abide in the shadow of the Almighty, will say to the Lord, my refuge, my God, in whom I trust.” - Psalm 91:1
SOMETHING TO PONDER
My wife and I recently moved to a new house between Christmas and New Year's. Looking back, this may not have been the smartest plan in the world, but we felt the new place was worth the effort. One of the big differences between our place now and where we were living is the Furnace. See, in the old place, the furnace ran all the time. I mean, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, you would hear the hum of the furnace running constantly. It never shut off. We hadn’t realized the inescapable hum that pervaded every moment in that place until we moved into the new place when all was silent. And in the first few moments of living in this house, there was this point at which our shoulders dropped. It’s like we exhaled all the furnace hum tension that we didn’t know we were carrying but became obvious when we met with this silence – and we felt we could be at rest and relax as we abided in this new place.
Psalm 91 presents a call for us to abide in the shelter of the Almighty. And like entering an existence where we get to step away from the hum of dis-ease, the psalm talks about the peace we receive when we live in the presence of God. “You who live in the shelter of the Most High, who abide in the shadow of the Almighty, will say to the Lord, my refuge, my God, in whom I trust.” Now, all of the words used in these verses describe God as a source of protection. What is being described is the willingness to see our lives under the blanket of God’s presence and activity. The word translated as “shadow’ means to hide or to conceal – it denotes the willingness to spread your presence over someone to protect or hide them from the ills of an enemy.
For Israel, the term “refuge” was significant. A city of refuge was the place that you would flee when you were in danger. If you were in fear for your life, for any reason, you could go to a city of refuge and abide in safety. If you sinned and were afraid of reprisal, it would be a haven for you. When we make God our refuge, we are choosing to say, “It is the God to whom I will run when I need help.” It is God to whom I will run when I feel life comes crashing against me. It is God to whom I will run when I feel I have erred and strayed and gotten all turned around in my life. I will run to God because I choose to trust in God’s forgiveness and grace.”
In God’s perfect and abiding love, God dwells with us. See, this is the image of faith that we have. God’s response to the false kingdoms of the world, to the ills of life that can touch us so near, isn’t to remove us from them – it’s to join us in them. We believe in a savior who casts a shadow of love over us because he comes and lives with us amid what we face. Jesus extends his arms over us and, in doing so, has nails driven through them. See, abiding with God fundamentally means that we recognize that in love, God abides with us. This is a truth and a reality in which you reside tonight.
YOUR NIGHTLY PRAYER
Lord,
As I turn to rest this night, I acknowledge that I rest in peace only because you are with me. You surround me in your loving presence. Your grace blankets my life. There is no moment when I am outside your love. This means I can rest in peace; I can rest in quiet, and in safety.
In faith and devotion, I turn to you. I give you my heart this night. And when I rise tomorrow, I pray that you give me the strength I need to live the day, acknowledging your Lordship and your presence in my life. This I pray in the name of Jesus my Lord.
Amen.
THREE THINGS TO PONDER
1. In the gospels, Jesus says, “How I have longed to gather you like a mother hen,” Like a parent who extends their arms over us in times of danger or trouble, so Jesus extends his peace and protection. Where do you experience Jesus reaching out to you?
2. What are some areas in your life today where you need to run to Jesus as a refuge? Can you name those things before God this night?
3. To trust is to have confidence in someone or something. Take a moment to think about why you can be confident In Jesus’ care and protection for you.
Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/Lidiia Moor
The Reverend Dr. Kyle Norman is the Rector of St. Paul’s Cathedral, located in Kamloops BC, Canada. He holds a doctorate in Spiritual formation and is a sought-after writer, speaker, and retreat leader. His writing can be found at Christianity.com, crosswalk.com, ibelieve.com, Renovare Canada, and many others. He also maintains his own blog revkylenorman.ca. He has 20 years of pastoral experience, and his ministry focuses on helping people overcome times of spiritual discouragement.
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