Abide

“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.”

 -Psalm 91:1

I’m pretty dutiful about my morning “quiet time”. Once I get into a routine, it’s difficult for me to get out of it (the phrase “stuck in her ways” can absolutely be used to describe yours truly). I love to-do lists, and checking off boxes. Quiet time: check! What I’m not good at is dwelling.

I’m not good at keeping my attention directed on the truth that I read sometimes just minutes before.

This verse from Psalms has been popping up a lot lately. Whenever that happens I try to take some time to reflect on it and ponder how it might apply to my current life circumstances.

So I read and re-read this verse and my thoughts began to point to my tendency to worry about my current or future life circumstances. When I do that, I’m not dwelling (directing my attention) in the shelter of the Most High. I’m relying on my own ingenuity. That’s not going to get me far, and it’s only going to cause more anxiety. But, if I direct my attention to God and His perfect care for me, I will abide (remain in a stable, fixed state) in the shadow of the Almighty.

I can tell you that I have spent much time abiding in a shadow—a shadow of fear and doubt—and that’s not a place I’d like to spend any more time. Abiding in the Shadow of the Almighty sounds pretty good!

So, how does one do that? By keeping Scripture at the forefront of your mind, and spending time in prayer. There are a few things that have helped me to do this more lately.

One, I started a prayer journal using the ACTS format (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication). Each day I record my praises (A-Adoration) from something I read that morning. For example, I’ve been studying Hebrews over the past few weeks, so one of my praises is that Jesus is the better sacrifice. I confess my sin, repent of it, and ask God to change my heart and make me more like Himself. I thank Him for the wonderful blessings that He’s given to me, and I ask Him to work in specific areas in my life and in the lives of those I love.

Another way that I’ve been keeping Scripture in the forefront of my mind is writing it on a notecard and keeping it on my desk. I try to read that Scripture as I go through my day. I’m also helping my kids memorize verses. We have the mini scripture cards from Crew + Co, and we read our current verse every day on our way to school.

I have also purchased jewelry that helps me to keep Scripture on my mind. I’m currently wearing the Parallel bracelet from Dear Mushka, which comes with this corresponding verse: “You make known to me the paths of life. In your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore”. -Psalm 16:11. Katie, the owner of Dear Mushka, has great tips for Scripture memorization, and my prayer journal is modeled after hers!

There is no quick fix to managing fear, anxiety, and doubt (barring a miraculous work of God). However, the habits of meditating on His Word, preaching to ourselves about who God is, and spending time communing with him through prayer will decrease fear, anxiety, and doubt because it will increase our knowledge, love, and dependence upon Jesus. He is the Wonderful Counselor!

His Strength is Made Perfect in Our Weakness (written for my church's devotional)

Read: John 18

Reflect:
Oh, Peter. I get you. In my younger years (and sometimes even more recently), I judged Peter for his wrong actions. I would think things like, “Why would you cut the guy’s ear off? How does that help anything? Don’t you realize that God in the flesh is standing right next to you and is in control of this situation? Ugh. What is wrong with you, Peter?” Then later, when he denies Jesus 3 times, I would think to myself, Oh, I would never, could never do that! How could Peter do such a thing and only hours before have the boldness to declare that he wouldn’t let anything happen to Jesus? I imagine you have had similar thoughts while reading this passage. As God has grown my faith and understanding of who He is, I have come to realize that Peter and I have an awful lot in common. So often, when tense or difficult circumstances arise, I want to do as Peter did in the garden and take matters into my own hands. I fail to trust that God is in control of my circumstances and that even when things seem very bleak and out of control, He is working for my good and His glory. Although I may not flat out ever say that I don’t know Jesus, I know that I deny him with my actions. My attitudes of pride, fear, anger, rebellion, etc. all deny the truth that I know about God.

Apply:
Yet, there is hope! Peter may have messed up, but God made a way of forgiveness through Jesus, and used Peter to build his church! He will continue to use imperfect people like you, me, and Peter as we allow Him to work through us. As Scripture says in 1 Corinthians 12:9, “9 But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”  Thanks be to God that he gave us His Spirit to enable us to do His work! So, if you’re feeling like a failure today, know that you’re in good company (people dependent on God’s grace), and most importantly, that you have a generous Savior who helps us in our weakness to magnify His strength! Pray that God will use you today and help you to grow through your failures.

The Triumphal Entry (written for my church's devotional)

Read:
John 12
 
Reflect:
        John Chapter 12 contains an account of the Triumphal Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. A crowd gathered to celebrate Jesus’ arrival. While they were gathered, Jesus told them that He would die, and through his death and resurrection he would defeat Satan, and bring all people to Himself. The crowd believed, but many were afraid to say so because they were afraid of what other people would think. Scripture says, “Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God” (v. 42-43).
         Do I love the glory (or approval) that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God? Do you? I think the resounding truth for all of us is that yes, there are times that we love the approval of humans more than the approval of God. Why is that? Well, sometimes it’s easier for us to see approval of other people because it is physically right in front of us. We audibly hear the accolades from people around us; we visually see the comments on Instagram, Facebook, and other social media platforms.
         In this life, it is so easy to get caught up in seeking the approval of the world. We want flesh and blood assurance that we are accepted. However, the Gospel tells us that our only approval is through the blood of Jesus. He alone loved us enough to carry our sins and die to save us from them. It should follow that we would value the glory that comes from Him more than what comes from man. God alone holds the power to deem us “approved”. The opinion of the world means nothing in light of Jesus’ sacrifice, yet we continually forget, and seek worldly glory. To be clear, there is nothing wrong with enjoying the approval of the people in your life. The problem lies in seeking that above the approval of God.
        Praise God that we can confess this sin to Him, repent and turn from it. We can trust that we are forgiven because Jesus paid the penalty for every sin you and I have ever committed and will ever commit. Why would we seek the glory that comes from anyone else above the glory that comes from Him? When we keep our hearts and minds focused on eternity, the glory of the world pales in comparison to the glory of God.
 
Apply:
            Take some time to talk with God about where you are in this area. Ask Him if there is anything you are doing or avoiding doing because you are afraid of what people will think. Confess that to Him. Repent, and ask Him to give you the grace to be obedient.