Dwelling in Shadow

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.  Psalm 91:1

God continually takes me back to marriage.  When I looked up the word for dwells (dwelleth) in the Hebrew/Chaldee dictionary I discovered the word is yashab and means to sit down (as judge specifically, in ambush, in quiet) by implication: to dwell or remain; causatively - to settle, to marry

While I know marriage is not a beautiful thing to all people, it was designed by God to be so.  We have manipulated, distorted, devalued and destroyed its beauty through giving in to lust, greed and redefining moral standards.  What is worse, even after making it almost more common to be divorced than married, we continue to push to keep changing the very fabric of moral society in every way possible. 

This verse has, just today, become one of my favorites.  If I marry (become one with) myself to God's Word and dwell in that secret place of intimacy through prayer with Him (But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. Matthew 6:6) I will abide in the protection of His shadow. 

When I think about my marriage, I begin to understand and rejoice in what God is telling me in this verse.  The more I get to know my husband, the more I begin to think and act like him.  When people see me, they automatically think of him and ask me how he is doing.  My life is so bound up in his that I am constantly in his shadow. 

The other day we were sitting in a fast food restaurant and someone we knew walked in.  I smiled and waved.  This person smiled slightly with a look of, "Do I know you?" until they saw my husband.  Then they smiled broadly and said, "Hey!  How ya doin'?"

I found this rather humorous, since I had known the family longer, but this morning I rejoiced in it.  My husband overshadowed me.

I dwell in his shadow of protection this way.  Everyone knows who he is, what he is like and that he will defend me tooth and nail, so in return, I am treated with respect.  If I walk into a room where people we know are speaking rather lewdly, the conversation stops, especially if he is with me.  I have to admit - it's a pretty sweet deal. 

When I put all of this into this verse, I realize God is crying out to me - to us - to dwell in intimacy with Him through the communication of prayer and we will remain in His shadow so that when people see us, they will automatically think of God and wonder about Him.  (Pray without ceasing 

I Thessalonians 5:17)  What a magnificent realization!

Lord, help us, Your children, become so one with You that when others see us, they see You!!