Psalm 91:1 declares, “He (or she) who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest (or abide) in the shadow of the Almighty.” Brian Atwood, pastor of Pathway Church in Huntsville, AL, gives us a bird’s eye view of what “dwelling” in God’s presence offers us.
v1 Rest in God’s shadow
v2,4 Refuge in God’s fortress
v3 Redemption from temptation
v5-6 Reliance upon His promises
v7-8 Retribution upon the enemy
v9-10 Resort from wrath
v11-12 Reinforcement from angels
v13-14 Rescue from danger
v15 Requests answered
v16 Resilience promised
v9 promises, “If you make the Most High your dwelling,” then you can claim the promise of God answering your prayers when you are in trouble (v15).
The result? Prayer is more than just a problem-solving tool; prayer becomes a Way of Life.
Our dwelling is where we live; we are not just an occasional guest. In the same way, our relationship with God should not consist of only an occasional visit, especially if that visit is solely for the purpose of helping us out of trouble. We must abide, connect, plug in, be nourished.
Jesus, in teaching about the vine and branches, reinforced this when He said, “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you” (John 15:7).
What a beautiful promise! Thankfully, we don’t need to turn to the Lord only in times of emergency. Rather, we want to dwell with Him; we want to dwell in His presence. When we abide in Him, just like branches in the vine, there is a continual flow of protection and provision. We are plugged into the source of everything that we need.
So don’t look to Jesus only in times of emergency. (Thankfully, He is faithful to intervene even in those situations.) Let’s be plugged into Him at all times. Let’s dwell in Him and in His presence. Don’t be an occasional guest. Don’t be a random visitor. Instead, be resident in the Lord’s presence. Abide in Him and let Him abide in you (John 15:4).
This Sunday, August 20, we will continue our teaching series, “Summer in the Psalms”, with the glorious promise of Psalm 91, “The Song of Protection.” In times of trouble, where does my help come from? The Lord is generous and faithful! Please invite someone to join you at 10:35am either in the building or online for the Live broadcast on Facebook (Honolulu AG) or our YouTube channel (Honolulu Assembly of God). We Livestream every Sunday at 10:35am to both locations.
Heartbroken over the devastation that has happened in Maui and want to help? Convoy of Hope is there and making a difference, but they need our help. If you would like to donate money, there are ways to do so. Either donate directly at Convoy of Hope’s website (https://convoyofhope.org/disaster-services/2023-maui-wildfire/). Or donate via BGMC. All funds donated to BGMC this month will go directly to Convoy’s work on Maui. You can donate to BGMC with a check given here at Honolulu AG or online at our website (https://www.honoluluag.org/giving). Click on the Donate button and choose Boys and Girls Missionary Challenge. Either way your donation will help Convoy of Hope and Maui church partners to bring hope and needed supplies to hurting and needy people.
Aloha ke Akua!