Shelter = Rest

Psalm 91:1 Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. God is our shelter and our protection in every area of our lives. What does He shelter us from ? The arrows of the enemy. Paul tells us that we are fighting an enemy that is cunning and has the desire to bring down all of those who are born again. But remember, we are born again "in the Spirit" and God has equipped us to fight this "good" fight with His Spirit, and the weapons to fight this fight are many. To handle the arrows of the enemy, we need the shield of faith. Paul spoke to this weapon in Ephesians 6:16 In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil.

The shield of faith, in so many ways, is our "shelter" given to us by God. Faith is the most important part of our Faith Walk. Duh... We put our lives in the care of our Heavenly Father, and He shelters us from the arrows to come. And they will come! When we realize how much God cares for us and we trust His care to be the best for us, we step into a whole new realm of peace, and that peace is even beyond our human understanding. So, what do we do then? We ask God to magnify this peace in our thinking, and it changes us at our core. We become confident "in the Lord." Satan hates it when we get this confident, know that the peace that passes all understanding has now replaced fear and anxiety, and now we are resting in this new, deeper faith. It is there we find true rest and comfort from God, knowing that nothing can keep us from the Lord's care and His power. We have stepped into a new, more holy realm. And the holiness comes from God, who is our strength and that shield I mentioned earlier.

Sadly, we have digressed in teaching children and ourselves about the armor of God to the point that it turns into a kid's "story" and not a life truth, and it minimizes the learning aspect of the whole truth, which is tied to the faith part of our lives. The stronger our faith in the Lord gets, the stronger and more confident our faith walk is, and that is not something satan wants to see happen. If we never get beyond our Sunday School walk in the Lord, our faith will not grow into a world-changing faith that relies on God's power to not just "get by" but actually move forward in accomplishing something worthwhile. It is God's will for us to grow in this faith, and as we do, He further shows us just how powerful He is and how much he wants to work through us. This kind of faith "pleases" God. Hebrews 11:6 And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.

1. Realize that God gives us rest, but that rest is found in His shelter, which is found in our faith.

2. Make your prayer life current, sharing your heart with God and asking Him to give you that peace He has promised.

3. He will grow your faith, and everything will change for the better. No more fear, no more doubt, and only growth in your faith walk.

4. You will begin to have clarity in purpose because your purpose and your life are immersed in who God wants you to be.

5. Now that you see more clearly that God is fighting your battles and He is making a straight path before you, you are more bold and confident in your faith walk. You begin to see Him impacting life and situations through you, which involves sharing your faith as He brings people to you, and His shadow is hovering over every move you make.

6. Shelter = Rest. God will make it a reality and not just something we read in the Bible.

Today's Message,

David Warren