Psalm 91 – God’s Shadow
Have you ever played shadow tag with God? Sounds fun to me. What are the benefits of residing in God’s shadow? How do we do this? What do we learn about this from Psalm 91 – God’s shadow?
Psalm 91
Psalm 91 begins with the statement that those who dwell in God’s shelter, or secret place, will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
“Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” (1-2)
God will hide them under his wings, and protect them.
“He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.” (4)
Because of this, we need not fear.
“You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day,
nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday.
A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.” (5-7)
God’s angels will guard us and keep us safe.
“For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways;
they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
You will tread on the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent.” (11-13)
The psalm ends with God’s promise to those who love him.
“Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.
With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.” (14-16)
Thus, there are many benefits of being in God’s shadow, including a long life and salvation.
God’s Shadow
As a child I remember playing shadow tag. Rather than touching players to tag them and make them “it,” you had to step on their shadow. It was more challenging than a regular game of tag because shadows are always changing depending on your movement and the sun. It was harder to guard your shadow as well as harder for the person who was it to step on your shadow, requiring a different skill set.
You have to get close to step on a shadow. As one commentator stated in regards to the shadow of the Almighty: “This is an expression which implies great nearness. We must walk very close to a companion, if we would have his shadow fall on us.” (Duncan, cited in Spurgeon) Enduring Word Bible Commentary Psalm 91
Psalm 91 – God’s Shadow
The imagery in Psalm 91 – God’s shadow, is wonderful. We have God as an eagle, lifting us to safety, hiding us under his wings. Angels carry us. We can walk amid thousands falling at our side and never be touched. We can even step on the lion and cobra. Such are the benefits of staying close to God.
I love the idea of playing a game with God. Trying to get close enough to stay in God’s shadow. Or hiding under God’s wings, playing hide and seek. It reminds me of a child running up to a beloved parent or grandparent, clinging to their leg until they are picked up. The child longs to be close to their loved one.
And so, we are to cling to God, staying close, hiding in God’s shadow.
Have you ever played with God, confidently sneaking up behind God to step on God’s shadow?
(For another take on this psalm, see Psalm 91: Clinging to God – Patricia M Robertson)
This post is part of a series of blog posts on the Psalms. Sign up to follow this blog and receive a free copy of Still Dancing, the second book in my Dancing through Life Series. click here to sign up
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