Psalm 61: 2-4

‘In the midst of this storm I will cry out to You, “when my heart is overwhelmed; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For You have been a shelter for me, a strong tower from the enemy. I will abide in Your tabernacle forever; I will trust in the shelter of Your wings” 
DAILY READING Mark 11:1-14; 1 Kings 1; Hosea 4:11b-5:4

On Monday, November 28, 2016, one of the worst air disasters ever to hit professional football occurred. It was also the worst air disaster in Colombia in two decades. A chartered plane carrying a Brazilian soccer team, crashed into a mountain near Medellin, Columbia. The Chapecoense football team of Brazil were traveling from their  home town in Chapecó, Brazil, to play in the South American Cup, when this crash occurred. Almost the entire team was lost. Out of the 77 people on board, 71 died in the crash. This tragedy shook up the South American soccer world.   

However, out of the only six survivors, was a 31 year old defender with the Brazilian team, named Helio Neto.

Neto is well known for his strong Christian faith. He recalled that while they were in the plane, the lights had suddenly gone off, and then flight attendants told them to put on their seat belts for a crash landing. This was the moment Neto realised the plane was going to crash. Though survival seemed humanly impossible, his last and only resource had been to turn to God.  As the plane began to go down, he began calling upon the Name of The Lord. He passed out, but was later pulled out of the plane alive.  

During the rescue operation, a battered Bible was found at the site of the crash, it had Neto’s name on it. This is the Bible he always read, and carried around wherever he went. In the Bible, he had bookmarked Psalm 63 which he possibly had been reading before the crash.

This Psalm reads in part: ‘Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee. Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy Name. My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips:  When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches.  Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice.’

This Psalm indeed proved true in Neto’s life. By abiding diligently under the shadow of God’s wings, his life was preserved. The outcome of a man’s life is a function of his regard for God.

Psalms 27:5 says  ‘For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock.’ 

The Lord’s promise of protection is to those who maintain fellowship with Him, who dwell in His secret place and abide under His shadow. Under the shadow of God’s wings, is our hiding and abiding-place.  But it is only for dwellers, not for visitors.  

Psalm 91: 1 says “He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.” 

Under the shadow of His wings is a place of shelter and refuge from storms. It is His shadow that preserves us from terror, from the arrows that fly by day and night, from death and from destruction. Troubles of life may come, but in those times God arises to hide us in His secret place. 

In Psalm 61: 2-4 David says, ‘In the midst of this storm I will cry out to You, “when my heart is overwhelmed; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For You have been a shelter for me, a strong tower from the enemy. I will abide in Your tabernacle forever; I will trust in the shelter of Your wings” 

Under the shadow of God’s wings we have a safe place, a refuge, a shelter. Dwelling under His shadow, means dwelling in His Presence.  We come under His wings when we are overshadowed by His Presence.  And we cannot access His presence without engaging in thanksgiving and praise. Psalms 100:4 tells us to enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise.

Thanksgiving and praise are covenant platforms through which we can access a hiding place in God. The Anointing that comes from praise is the oil that preserves us. David, praised God seven times a day and God speaking of him in Psalms 89:20-23 said ‘I have found David my servant; with my holy oil have I anointed him: With whom my hand shall be established: mine arm also shall strengthen him. The enemy shall not exact upon him; nor the son of wickedness afflict him.’

This means that when we praise and thank God, His presence is invoked and His anointing comes as a seal of protection over us to preserve us from evil. Psalms 105:13-15 says ‘Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm’ 

Those who carry the anointing of God’s Presence, also carry a ‘touch not seal’. They cannot be tampered with, by any devil. Their lives are precious and hidden in Christ. God is committed to delivering them in the time of trouble. 

Do you therefore want to carry  the ‘touch not’ anointing? Then it is time to move to a new level of diligence in seeking God’s presence. When you carry the anointing of His Presence, a thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand, but it will never come near thee. By carrying His Presence, you are continually preserved.

Let us therefore maintain a lifestyle of diligent study of The Word, thanksgiving and praise. By so doing we will be continually anointed with fresh oil that will preserve us from every trouble.
PRAYER: Lord, I desire to carry Your ‘touch not seal’ upon my life. Therefore, please grant me the grace to commit to a lifestyle of diligent study of Your Word, and praise, so that I will always be protected and persevered by Your Presence in Jesus Name. 

QUOTE : 

Praise is proof that you believe God to do what He said He would do in your life, 

It takes a heart for God to make a mark in the sands of time. – WORDBITE 222. 

 [ADAPTED FROM TRIUMPH OF LIGHT OVER DARKNESS]