“He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty” (Psalm 91:1).
TEXT — Psalm 91:1-16
Message
Scientists at the US Department of Health and Human Services have said that in the event of a nuclear blast, survival in an underground bomb shelter is guaranteed for only a few months. They claim that such isolation ensures protection from “the…intense…and the higher levels of radioactive fallout you are at risk of exposure to.” You must also enjoy “proper supplies and air filtration” to see you through the quarantine.
Contrast man’s atomic bunker of severely limited capacity to protect from death with that of the “secret place of the most High”. God says if you dwell in His shelter, you will be abiding “under the shadow of the Almighty,” beyond the reach of any danger, whether posed by thousands of the troops of the enemy or by perpetrators of evil forces under the cover of the night. The psalmist arrays quite formidable physical and spiritual foes that would trouble man. But he says they cannot come near those taking refuge in God.
This is good news for humanity, which has been locked in the throes of fear and helplessness for ages. Initiative after initiative by governments and their think tanks have not offered succour. This is because they have not looked toward the secret and sacred place where God promises unlimited deliverance and safety. This assurance is most comforting against the backdrop of growing dangers and conflicts in our world today.
The call on all who “labour and are heavy laden” to come for rest in God is still open. The rest He gives is through salvation brought by His Son Jesus Christ. As we receive Him as Lord by faith, He builds a fortress in which He hides us here on earth, ahead of His return, to take us to the final resting place He has prepared for us in heaven.
Listed among “500 most powerful people on the planet” by the Foreign Policy magazine in 2013, Pastor (Dr.) William F. Kumuyi is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry (DCLM) headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria. DCLM started in 1973 as a 15-member Bible study group right in Kumuyi’s apartment at University of Lagos where he was a lecturer. His revolutionary Bible teaching on personal holiness and commitment to evangelism soon gained so much traction and resulted in a widespread revival.