The verse used as the basis for this morning's reading in "Morning and Evening" by Charles H. Spurgeon is Psalm 91:9. The verse reads, "Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge, even the Most High, your dwelling place,..."
Blessing and protection are offered to those who make the Lord Most High their dwelling place or habitation. This fascinating meditation is very timely because my wife and I have had some discussions based on this idea lately. Spurgeon goes on to discuss the Israelites and their oft-changing circumstances while they followed the cloudy pillar through the wilderness on their way to the Promised Land.
The cloudy pillar is God and our Promised Land is spiritual. Our rest, our settlement is eternal in Christ; our dwelling place must be the Lord Most High. On this side of heaven, there are good and right benefits to settling physically, "putting down our roots." The concept of stability in our circumstances should not be avoided.
But we must recognize that our true rest is not found in our peaceful, comfortable circumstances. We pitch our tents and dig our wells, but if our Cloudy Pillar leads us, as we grow in grace and knowledge, to journey onward, then we pick up and go, joyfully.
If a job situation is about to change or a residential move is imminent, we are not suddenly unsettled or agitated from our rest. The peace we do feel in these situations is not because of our listening to calming music or enjoying a couple of glasses of fine wine. Our feeling of peace is directly related to the true rest we find in a Sovereign God, a trustworthy Father, a strong habitation.
Spurgeon sums up his entry for this morning saying, "I am a pilgrim in the world, but at home in my God. In the earth I wander, but in God I dwell in a quiet habitation."
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