Covered by peace

1 Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” Psalms 91:1-2

I try various times throughout the day to pause what I am doing, clear my mind, and tell God, “Thank You.” For me, it is less of a routine and more pouring out of the heart because, probably like you, I have verifiable reasons to be thankful. I choose to be grateful, and it doesn’t take much effort since I don’t have to look too far back into my life to find many reasons why God is worthy. However, I try to set aside specific time to spend with God, generally early in the mornings. Lately, the weather has begun to be a bit colder during this time, so I have added a blanket into the mix. Not long after, I noticed I probably needed a larger one because there always seemed to be a piece of me “sticking out,” uncovered and cold. I would try various things to get all of my body under the blanket where the warmth was found, but despite my best efforts, I could not get everything covered.

Have you ever felt this way when dealing with life’s issues, perhaps just one in particular? No matter how hard you try or what effort you put into it, some piece of you feels unprotected. Some little crack or crevice satan uses to access your mind or life. Even more troubling are the weaknesses you know exist, but you feel powerless to keep them consistently under control. Some days you think you are winning; others, you feel overwhelmed. Over time, fear and fatigue can set in, opening other doors for attacks. You see, satan is relentless, and we cannot keep ourselves. Peace comes in short supply, and the effects of the battle begin to leak out into other areas of our lives. It is a long-game strategy to slowly push us into a state of despair where eventually, we become easy prey for more powerful attacks.

But all hope is not lost because our savior delights in preserving us. Jesus wants to be an ever-present part of our lives and not just stop by and provide assistance when needed. He wants to be a covering that takes many forms, with peace and healing included among them. One of his many specialties is to keep our minds. Once we have endured repeated attacks and have experienced an inability to protect ourselves, the mind becomes weakened. Jesus can cover those draft spots in our lives, giving us relief from the war while fighting our battle at the same time. He can wrap our minds and shield us from attacks giving us peace where peace is not usually found. In the eye of the storm, we experience him in a way that can change the trajectory of our relationship with him. We encounter him becoming our strength, covering our weak spots and embracing us with his all-powerful protection.

“He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings, you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart” (Psalms 91:4). How powerful the imagery of this verse appears when Jesus becomes our covering. We will not fear during the night, day, or midday (v. 5-6). While we may see things crumbling all around us, Jesus will keep us (v. 7). We will not be overrun or overtaken (v. 10) because he will dispatch his warring angels to guard us (v. 11). When we take time to love him, he will rescue and protect us (v. 14) and in due season deliver us (v. 15). He will then give us the quality of life so that we can fully enjoy his mighty deliverance and loving presence (v. 16). It is in life’s most difficult times that you will experience that you are covered by peace!