We weren’t created for this world, nor the brokenness that it provides. This wasn’t His initial plan for us. In the beginning, He designed a place of peace…a place of beauty and rest…a place of safety. And because He designed us for this place, this is what our souls long for. This is what we are all reaching for. We work day and night, hoping to obtain this peace. We vacation over and over again, hoping to enjoy this rest. We plan, hoping to create a safety net, but our efforts are short lived. And it feels like we are reaching for something that we can never truly attain. But there is hope. There is a place we can go to find what we’ve been searching for. It’s a place of fulfillment, a place of true peace…where our souls can find rest. It’s a place where we can feel safe from the brokenness of this world. A place where we are made whole. And this place resides in His presence.
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.” Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. (Psalms 91:1-4 NIV)
The only place we can go to find peace, rest, and safety, is in His presence.
It doesn’t matter how hard we try. It doesn’t matter how far we go, or how much money we make. We will never find what we are looking for outside of Him. His word says that safety and rest are only found when we dwell with Him. And this takes intentionality. We must make a conscious decision to find shelter in His presence, if we want the safety that He provides. We must choose to remain in Him, if we want to feel His peace and have rest. And we must know that this is what He wants for us. He wants closeness. He wants intimacy. He wants us to know that we weren’t supposed to live this life alone.
I will lift up my eyes to the hills— From whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, He who keeps Israel Shall neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is your keeper; The Lord is your shade at your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, Nor the moon by night. The Lord shall preserve you from all evil; He shall preserve your soul. The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in From this time forth, and even forevermore. (Psalms 121:1-8 NKJV)
Why are we running through life trying to solve all of our problems, when we have a Father that has already figured everything out. He has already made the plan. He has already crafted our purpose, and He has laid out how we will get there. We don’t need to spend our days stressed, anxious, and afraid. We do not need to focus on the situation that we have no control over. Instead, we must begin to lift our eyes to where our help comes from. Our help comes from the Lord…the One that existed before anything was created. Everything was created through Him and for Him. He is in control of all things, and He holds all things together.
When we remember this…when we magnify Him in our lives…suddenly, everything else becomes much smaller.
Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see— such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him. He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together. (Colossians 1:15-17 NLT)
If He can do all of that, why don’t we think He can take care of us. Yes, our problems may seem big, but they are nothing when compared to our God. He is bigger. He is greater. He has everything that we need.
“He is the God who made the world and everything in it. Since he is Lord of heaven and earth, he doesn’t live in man-made temples, and human hands can’t serve his needs—for he has no needs. He himself gives life and breath to everything, and he satisfies every need. (Acts of the Apostles 17:24-25 NLT)
So, we must run to Him. We must make the decision to dwell in His presence, and we do this by keeping our thoughts fixed on Him. Philippians says it so perfectly. Instead of focusing on the problem, we must take our problems to Him. When we do that, and when we praise Him for what He has already done, we are able to experience a peace beyond what we can understand.
Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7 NLT)
When we seek God’s help through prayer, we are acknowledging that we need Him.
And when we acknowledge our need for Him, when we humble ourselves before Him, He invites us into His presence. In contrast, our lack of prayer proves that we believe we can do life without Him, and that is a dangerous place to be.
Though the Lord is exalted, He regards the lowly [and invites them into His fellowship]; But the proud and haughty He knows from a distance. (Psalms 138:6 AMP)
We dwell with God when we pray. He dwells with us when we praise.
But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel. (Psalm 22:3 KJV)
This is so beautiful to me. Yes, we can run to Him with our needs and desires, but when we praise Him for what He has already done, He runs to us. He sits with us. He remains with us. And this is what we all need. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the troubles of life. It’s easy to create a list of everything that isn’t perfect…everything you don’t have…everything you need God to do. But when you decide to create a list of what He has already done, everything changes. Instead of feeling hopeless, you will begin to feel hopeful. Instead of living in sadness, you will receive joy. Instead of worrying about the future, you will be able to rest in His peace. And this is because you will be dwelling in His presence. This is the place He’s prepared for you. This is the place He’s calling you to. But you must join Him.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank you for preparing a place of peace and rest for me. Thank you for allowing me to enter into your presence, regardless of my past, regardless of my present. Thank you for reminding me today that I can only find peace in you. I can only find rest in you. And I must draw my strength from you, because you are where my help comes from. Today, I am making the decision to humble myself before you. I need you Father. I need you in every moment of every day. I will depend on you. I will wait for you. I will trust in you. In Jesus’ name, amen.
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