Moving Target

Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

Psalm 91:1 (NLT)

A few years back, my extended family went on a vacation to a lake up in Idaho to do a few days of R&R (rest and relaxation) and get in some water skiing. One of the cool features at this lake was that it had giant floating docks out in the middle of the lake. These were spread out all over, so you could have your own island to dock your boat, swim from, and basically hang out on for the whole day. They were pretty awesome. The one issue, however, is that these docks didn’t provide any shade. Because they were floating out in the middle of the lake, there were no trees to hide under to find relief from the 103-degree weather. Luckily, we had a pop-up canopy we could all gather under to grab some shade.

It is pretty amazing how much being the shade can cool things down. Instead of being scorched by the sun, the temperature becomes manageable and the sunburns are kept at bay. But, there was one issue we kept facing in regards to the canopy – while it stood still, the sun kept moving. In other words, the shade that it provided would shift as the day wore on, and those of us who had been sitting in the shade would find ourselves sitting in the direct sunlight if we didn’t keep shuffling our chairs to get back under the canopy. Life would be so much easier if the sun just stood still. Instead, shade is a moving target.

Our relationship with God works similarly. As our verse today states, “Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.” Notice, it says that you will “find rest.” However, it doesn’t say you will be planted in the same spot forever. In order to continue to enjoy the rest that God offers, you must continue to move with God in order to stay in His shadow. In other words, when you find Jesus, you can’t stay put. The Son moves. With Jesus, it’s a journey. As He moves, you must move. If you stay put, you will eventually find yourself out from under His shadow and you will get burned.

So, today, and every day, follow God wherever He goes. Stay in His shadow. Give up complacency (wanting to stay put) and choose to join Jesus on His journey. Find the rest that He so graciously offers.

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