I sighed as I adjusted my pillow again and flipped over trying to get comfortable on the couch. I was at my brother’s house with his two preschool-aged children, as he and his wife headed to the hospital to deliver their third child. As I lay there, I felt the heavy responsibility of caring for my niece and nephew. In the midst of all this, there were two who slept soundly and not worried. Those kids were not concerned about anything. They slept in complete peace. When they had gone to sleep that night, their mom and dad had tucked them in bed safe and sound. If anything happened during the night, they knew Mom and Dad would make sure someone would be there to take care of them.
I know we all worry and lose sleep when we ought to let God handle it. Just like those parents with those babies, God knows exactly where we are, available to help when we need Him. That same perfect peace and rest can be ours, also.
To have the peace of knowing that God is there to help us, we must be close to Him.
He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.…He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: His truth shall be thy shield and buckler. – Psalm 91:1, 4
To be under someone’s shadow would mean to be rather close. To be under His wings means to be right there with Him. Being near the one shielding is necessary to be sufficiently shielded. Just as a child feels peace in knowing his mom or dad is close, we can have peace in knowing that our Father is close.
To find peace in God as our refuge and fortress, we must run to Him.
I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. – Psalm 91:2
Often, when a child is scared, he will run to one or both of his parents. He trusts them for safety. The parent will then reach out and surround their child with arms of protection. If we will run to Him, God will cover us with His protection.
To find peace in the deliverance God offers, we must heed the warnings He sends through scripture and wise counsel.
Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. – Psalm 91:3
Many times, I have watched a parent calling out a warning to his child. I have also observed a parent grabbing his child just before he fell or put himself in danger. When the child listened, he avoided getting hurt. God offers us deliverance from snares or injury through warnings from the Bible and wise counselors. Sometimes, we ignore the warnings and get into trouble, but the deliverance is available if we will listen.
To have peace from fear, we must have complete trust in God.
Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; – Psalm 91:5
As I mentioned previously, those little ones I watched slept soundly all night. They had no fear that their parents would leave them without someone to care for them. They had no worries that someone would come into their house and harm them. They had complete trust in their parents, resulting in complete peace and rest. There is no room for fear when our hearts are filled with faith in God. With complete trust comes complete peace. We can rest, knowing God has everything handled.
by Amber Slimp
