What Child Is This?

 Many have a favorite Christmas song. You already know what mine is by the title of this post!

As far back as I can remember it has been my favorite.   

My parents were radio personalities. Their Saturday morning program was entitled Ronnie and Bill’s Music Den. Every year during their Christmas program my sisters and I were included. Each year our dad would ask me what my favorite Christmas song was and each year I gave the same answer.  “What Child Is This?”

The words stirred my soul even at a very young age.

I was always aware of God and as a young child intended to become a nun so I could dedicate my entire life to serving my God. In time I learned that every life, no matter the path they take, can serve God. 

It all begins with each of us answering the question posed by the song.

What Child Is This?         Who is this One to you?

The hymn writer urges us to look closely.

Look closely and see the Christ, not just a baby sleeping on His mother’s lap.

Look closely and look also into the faces of the shepherds as they watch over this Child.

Not only look closely, but Be Still and hear the echoes of the Angel chorus and sense their awe. 

Be Still and Know God. 

The apostle John answered for himself and his fellow disciples this way:

“And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us; and we saw His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John‬ ‭1‬:‭14‬ ‭NASB2020‬‬

THE WORD. The One that spoke all into creation  

The Glorious One! 

The Christ! Yes! The words of the song ring out, “This, This Is Christ the King!”

When my children were still young I would find a new way to tell the Christmas story each year. One year I had found a small book written by Max Lucado.  “Cosmic Christmas”.

I always had envisioned the essence of Christ leaving Heaven to sojourn on the earth. In Max’s book we get to imagine what that might have looked like. 

The Glorious One parting the heavens to step down onto the earth, but not as the All-Powerful One that He was, but as a vulnerable babe. Vulnerable from the moment He left the Glorious Abode. 

Sacrifice. No more glory. No comfortable bed for baby. No place to lay His head as a man. And then the greatest Sacrifice…thorns…nails…a cross.

What compelled such a sacrifice? Love! 

“By this the love of God was revealed in us, that God has sent His only Son into the world so that we may live through Him.” 1 John‬ ‭4‬:‭9‬ ‭NASB2020‬‬

The hymn cries for us to bring Him laud.  That is solemn praise.

Calls us to enthrone Him upon our hearts.  In other words become One with Him.  Recognize His Glorious Presence and welcome Him to dwell in us, filling us to overflow! Overflow with Joy!

Christ has come! Never to leave or forsake us! 

All Praise to the King!

“For this reason I bend my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner self, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled to all the fullness of God.” Ephesians‬ ‭3‬:‭14‬-‭19‬ ‭NASB2020‬‬

1. What Child is this who, laid to rest,
   On Mary’s lap is sleeping?
   Whom angels greet with anthems sweet,
   While shepherds watch are keeping?
   This, this is Christ the King,
   Whom shepherds guard and angels sing;
   Haste, haste to bring Him laud,
   The Babe, the Son of Mary.
2. Why lies He in such mean estate,
   Where ox and ass are feeding?
   Good Christians, fear, for sinners here
   The silent Word is pleading.
   Nails, spear shall pierce Him through,
   The cross be borne for me, for you;
   Hail, hail the Word made flesh,
   The Babe, the Son of Mary.
3. So bring Him incense, gold, and myrrh,
   Come peasant, king to own Him;
   The King of kings salvation brings,
   Let loving hearts enthrone Him.
   Raise, raise a song on high,
   The virgin sings her lullaby;
   Joy, joy for Christ is born,
   The Babe, the Son of Mary.

Refreshment and Restoration

The sound of a steady, gentle rain is something that I have always found comforting.
Right now I sit by the window to listen.
Rain is refreshing and restorative.

Our lawn was looking quite dry and my flowers and veggies have been very thirsty.
For the first time in my adult life I am not relying upon well water, which has eliminated quite a few concerns. Wells run dry and have even collapsed on occasion. My husband and I have experienced both. Thus I was glad to know our new home didn’t include one!

As a child we had municipal water and I, honestly, never gave it a thought. If there ever was a risk of a shortage I was unaware of it.  Typical child.
So the recent email from our water company took me by surprise.  It requested that all their customers stop any non-essential water use.
But watering my flowers is essential for me!
They haven’t been in the ground very long and they need to get established.
So this rain is most welcome!

Scripture speaks of the trees clapping their hands. I’m sure they are also singing!
It’d be lovely to be able to hear all of nature in song!

Just like the rain I find time sitting with Papa refreshing and restorative.
A quote by Oswald Chambers got me thinking about this.

“Prayer is the exercise of drawing on the grace of God”

The Vault of Heaven is filled with His Grace and just like any vault it needs to be drawn upon.

Grace.
His unmerited favor.
Totally independent from any need to be earned.
Completely dependent upon the Love of God.

The Love of God.
Unconditional and eternal.

There are times that just like my flowers I am very thirsty.
Thirsty for refreshment from my God.

The Psalmist poetically expresses this in Psalm 42, verse 1:

“ As the deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants for you, O God.”

In the Fourth chapter of the Gospel of John Jesus speaks of the difference between the satisfaction we receive from the physical and spiritual water.

“ Everyone who drinks of this water shall thirst again, but whoever drinks the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.“

The Amplified version describes the water He gives as a spring that wells up, flowing and bubbling.

So why do I get thirsty for more? Doesn’t that contradict the Words of Christ?
I imagine it is like the trees and plants. After they are established they have deeper roots that tap into underground springs and can survive a dry spell. Yet they still seek the refreshment of rain.
That is how it is for me.

In Psalm 23 we have the picture of a relationship. One that refreshes.

“He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭23:2-3‬ ‭NASB‬‬

It is my habit of drinking water all day, every day.
If, for some reason, I go any period of time apart from my water bottle I become parched.
Water is essential.
So is our connection with the Provider of the spiritual water!

There is one book of the Bible that is found in the Old Testament filled with love letters between two lovers. It symbolizes the relationship we are to enjoy with the Living God.

“You are a garden spring, A well of fresh water, And streams flowing from Lebanon.”
“ Awake, O north wind, And come, wind of the south; Make my garden breathe out fragrance, Let its spices be wafted abroad. May my beloved come into his garden And eat its choice fruits!””
‭‭Song of Solomon‬ ‭4:15-16‬ ‭NASB‬‬

He is the garden spring, the well of fresh water, the stream!
He will never run dry, nor collapse!

As we drink Him in we find refreshment and restoration.
Then we experience the joy of blossomIng and becomIng bearers of fruit.
Yes, Joy!
Not simply happiness.

Happiness is dependent upon circumstances. Joy is not.
Joy comes from drinking deeply.

Joy that shows up in all those blossoms!
This is our gift to Him.
A gift that springs from Him.
A gift that pleases Him.

Feelings

“Feelings...nothing more than feelings.”

That’s the opening line to a song entitled “Feelings” that came out in 1974. 

Yes, I remember 1974. 

The song vaguely speaks of feelings of love, which the singer is trying to forget. 

Whatever the song was trying to say it’s that opening line that came to me the other day. 

I was thinking about feelings, of course!

For many years I thought feelings were nothing more than feelings...but no matter what they were either good or bad. No such thing as being neutral. 

Now I know they are all neutral. 

It is what we do with them that leaves the neutral zone. 

In my family of origin I had been taught that feelings should not be examined, but should be denied. At all costs!

I now know that they are indicators. 

Indicators of what is going on under the surface. 

Some are easy to figure out and take no deep exploration. 

There’s the example of how very much I love my precious, almost elevens month old, grandson, Samuel. 

I truly am in love!

I cannot get enough of him. 

His every action leaves his grandma amazed and enthralled!

Look under the surface and you will find more love. Love to the very core of my being. Pure love. Unconditional love. 

Not all feelings are so uncomplicated. 

Often they reveal things we thought had been put to rest. 

The reality is often there are scars that will never truly disappear. 

Now what got me to thinking about feelings?

Well...feelings had. 

Feelings that arose this past week. 

It was Monday and I was driving back home after a number of hours of doing errands. 

Papa and I were enjoying one another. 

There was some worship music playing that stirred my heart to even greater focus on Him. 

The Joy was truly immeasurable!

As my car rounded a bend in the road I spotted a motorcycle parked on the roadside. 

It was the same type as the one my husband was riding ten years ago when he had his life-altering accident. 

I began to weep. 

It might seem strange that in the midst of such joy tears could come so quickly. 

Honestly, I have come across other like motorcycles before with no reaction. 

So why this time?

I believe it is because my God knew it would deepen our connection even more. I was in such a beautiful place and when the deep grief rose up I was privileged to go into that beauty more fully. 

It seemed to me that Papa was holding me and gently guiding me through the sorrow in a more intimate way. 

Many times I have sought Him in my pain and sorrow, but never from a place of Joy. He has always comforted me, but never have I been so free to receive so fully!

Today I came across a quote from Graham Cooke. 

“ Rejoicing connects us with the joy of the Lord and allows us to become aware of the opportunities that are present.”

Opportunities for great healing? Opportunities for greater comfort? Opportunities for greater intimacy with the Lover of our soul!

The season we all find ourselves is giving us all more opportunities to explore the numerous feelings that arise. 

It is also an opportunity to draw nearer to the amazing, almighty Loving God!

If we do, then when we look back on this season, we will do so with gratitude and joy!

“You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,”

Psalms 30:11 NIV

“You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in Your presence, with eternal pleasures at Your right hand.”

Psalms 16:11 NIV

Practice

Hello there!
It’s been a couple of weeks since I have stopped by here.
I’ve been busy!

The warmer weather has drawn me outside.
Many flowers have been planted and a number of serious hikes have taken place.

I’ve had some thoughts as to what to share here, but by the time I sit down in the evening the brain is in neutral.

In light of the additional turmoil our country is experiencing at the moment I am feeling prompted to write this new post.

The thoughts that have been accumulating have a theme.
Presence.

There are two parts to this theme.
Being present.
His Presence.

Being present means being in the moment. In means not living in one’s head.

When I am present I can listen.
To His promptings and to others as they speak. Then I really hear!

It means I am not busy forming my next words, nor does it mean projecting as to what the future might be.
It takes practice.

Being present heightens my awareness of His Presence, as well as others around me.

To be aware of His Presence is to be aware of His love.
This stirs love in my heart.
Love first and foremost for Him.

What is that love meant to look like?
In Mark 12 Jesus is asked what was the most important commandment.
His response?

““The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’”
‭‭Mark‬ ‭12:29-30‬ ‭NIV‬‬

As I reflect on this it seems to mean that we are to Practice His Presence. In other words be God-focused!
The more we do this the deeper our love grows.
With it comes peace.

I call this being in the flow.
The flow of His Spirit.

There was more to Jesus’ response.

“The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.””‭‭Mark‬ ‭12:31‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Practicing His Presence. Abiding in Him. Experiencing His love and grace.
What flows from this is that love for your neighbor.

Oh how our nation needs this right now!
Actually this world needs this!

For many years I have prayed for peace for this world.
People, who were created in our God’s image are mistreated at every turn.
Each individual is precious in His sight!

I was aware that there was racial injustice in our country, but truly did not realize just how deep it goes.  The blinders are off.  God has broken my heart.

In the 12 Step program there is a motto.
“Be part of the solution, not part of the problem.”
We take one part or the other.
There is no neutral place.

So how can I be part of the solution?
How can we?

First is prayer.
Seeking God.
Allowing Him to show us how we have been part of the problem.
Listening to His direction.

Scripture speaks of praying without ceasing.
When we are practicing His Presence we find we have a running conversation with Him.
Just like anytime we are hanging with someone. We might be silent for periods of time, but being aware of their presence, we simply speak when we have something to share.
Same with hanging with Papa!

Prayer becomes our very breathe and the blood that courses through our veins.
According to Oswald Chambers, “Prayer is not an exercise, it is the life.”

His Presence puts the appropriate light on My thoughts, attitudes and the day.
Prayer helps us sort it all out.
We can rest and move in the Spirit.
Be in the flow!
Then we can be part of the solution and we will move mountains!

It takes practice!
In His Presence!

Grace Filled

What a time of reflection this ‘sheltering at home’ is proving to be!

Now this is coming from a person who lives much of the time ruminating on a normal day!

What it means is just take all that usual thinking, meditating and reflecting and expand it exponentially!

Oof! That’s a lot of thoughts swirling around in this head!

So what have I been thinking about?

If I had to condense it all down to one word it would be GRACE. 

Grace. 

Unmerited favor.

It’s what has carried me every day of my life. 

Yes, carried by grace even before I learned about grace or was intimately connected with the Giver of grace. 

Grace is a manifestation of His love. 

Out of such an immeasurable love grace flows. 

That great love that knows no limits. 

That Is unhindered by all that would get in the way. 

Our brokenness. 

Character defects. 

Sin. 

Pain. 

Wounds. 

Scars. 

None of it is a hindrance to our God extending grace to us.   

So how has that grace show itself in my life?

It would take volumes to tell of it all. 

That I am here, alive and thriving and so is my family is evidence enough of a lifetime of His Grace.

In this posting I ’d like to focus on the evidence that presents itself in this current time and situation.

Grace is woven through all of life...from the simplest little detail to the very big. 

Waking each morning is grace.

Hearing the birds singing is grace.

Sitting with Papa journaling my thoughts and discovering His thoughts is grace.

The knowledge and experience of His love is grace

The ability and pleasure of taking a walk in His glorious creation is grace.

Having people in my life to love and receiving love in return is grace.

Finding purpose is grace.

That inner voice (His Spirit) to guide is grace.

Our God is so very gracious! He is Present in all our moments.
That is grace!

His grace is evident in all the details of my life.
Even and especially the normal life situations.

I ordered a small kitchen island/cart.
Why I thought it would arrive already assembled I don’t know.
Well, of course, it arrived in many pieces. Quite a few pieces!

I knew I was looking at a project. Sigh.
First, I took an inventory, in which I discovered two damaged pieces.  Both belonged to a drawer.
Time to call the company. Sigh.

They will ship replacements.
Okay back to the project. Sigh.

Now lay out all the parts in order of assembly. Sigh.
Now put it together. Sigh.
After a couple of hours of connecting piece after piece I had it assembled.
Now to put the one good drawer in place!

No matter what I did it wouldn’t go. One side kept falling out of the track. Sigh.
It was later evening and time to leave it for the next day.  I was tired.
I walked away, made myself a cup of tea and headed to my chair to enjoy my current read for a bit.

On the way to my chair I stopped to close a window, as the evening was cooling down.
The window wouldn’t close. A two inch gap was where it stopped.  Sigh.
I tried opening it wide and even folding it in as if to clean it before trying to close it.
Nope. Sigh.

So I pulled the shade down and left the window as is and picked up my book.

The whole evening was grace filled.
Without grace this lady would have done more than sighed!
It wouldn’t have been pretty!
The grace was His peace in the midst of one of those bumps life can bring you.

The next morning after spending time with Papa He helped me close the window (I was pushing too far up before trying to close it).
Then in examining the drawer I discovered the manufacturer had put the track on backwards!
In a very short time both issues were resolved. Pure grace!

I am learning to trust His grace for each day.  By recognizing my weakness and often powerlessness His grace is free to flow and
it opens me up to discovering even more grace!

This reminds me of a passage of Scripture.

“but He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you [My lovingkindness and My mercy are more than enough—always available—regardless of the situation]; for [My] power is being perfected [and is completed and shows itself most effectively] in [your] weakness.” Therefore, I will all the more gladly boast in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ [may completely enfold me and] may dwell in me.”
‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭12:9‬ ‭AMP‬‬

AMEN!

I came across a quote from Maya Angelou that reflects a perfect attitude to greet every new day With when we know it will be grace-filled. 

“This is a wonderful day, I’ve never seen this one before!” 

Restoration

Greetings my dear friends!
I trust that this finds you well and making the most of these days.
Opportunities abound!
Just not all of the ones we were expecting!

One thing I was expecting, that had been on my calendar pre-pandemic, was offering the meditation for my church this past Sunday.
The topic was Rest. Rest in God.

I did things a bit differently from past times.
Being a lover of words, in the past, I would really flesh out on paper what I would be saying. Thing is, if I was yielding myself to the Spirit, much of it never left the paper!

This time I simply had the Scripture references in front of me with a few other notes.
I sensed a difference. Greater freedom in the Spirit! And God showed up!
Very humbling and very freeing!

Another difference was that afterward, for the first time, I did not critique the meditation.
Part of a greater freedom!
It was Papa’s. It was His message and I certainly had no inclination to critique it!

What didn’t change was how I am left depleted. Generally I am wiped out for a couple of days following such an event.
This leaves me especially vulnerable, emotionally and spiritually.

This particular time my wise, all-knowing God had plans to use it to do a little refining of this lady.

One of the tools that the Lord has placed in my life to help me grow and discover more of who I truly am meant to be is the 12 Step Recovery Program. Through working those Steps, which have the Lord’s fingerprints all over them, one is given a systematic way of self-discovery and freedom. Every Step is done with Him, as well as a trusted person.

The 4th Step sounds so intimidating to most, when first considered.

“ Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.”

With time it becomes a way of life as Step 10 states:

“ Continue to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.“

So the stage was set for Sunday evening.
Enter one of my sons, who happens to follow these Steps himself.
During our social-distanced visit our conversation turned to a time five years earlier when a family fissure occurred. He in his no beating around the bush, blunt way, reminded me of my role in the break.
I, honestly, had never looked at it from that particular perspective.
The revelation weighed heavily upon my heart.

Monday and Tuesday found me wrestling with a sense of disappointment, inadequacy and insecurity alternating with justification of my poor behavior those five years ago.

Each evening, before bed, I read a devotion to my husband.
Tuesday’s offering was clearly for me.

So was it about God’s judgement and disappointment in me, His child? No it was a gentle, loving touch from my Father telling me that I needed to be refreshed.
The devotional was about Elijah after he had been used of God and was so worn out. He also faced some serious opposition in the form of queen Jezebel, who threatened his life. (See 1 Kings 19)
He needed to be refreshed and then rested he would then be able to face the issue before him.

I was worn and needed a good, restorative sleep, which I hadn’t had the past two nights. Sensing Papa’s Presence, His love and acceptance I turned it all over to Him and slept well that night.

These past few days I have prayed, read, meditated and then spoke with a trusted friend.  Neither my God nor my friend have judged me, but offered support and encouragement.

I cannot tell you how many things the Lord has brought my way on the subject of guilt, asking for forgiveness and restoration this week!
The process has been amazing to me. The Lord God is so wise and gracious.

Meditations!
Podcasts!
Music!
Some through my usual, daily readings, some from friends, who had no idea what I was working through!

Through those different offerings I was challenged to examine my motives and attitude.
In asking for forgiveness we can think ourselves the ‘better person’. Especially when others had a part too and aren’t owning it.
Apologizing needs to be only for one’s part without accepting anymore.
The focus is our ‘side of the street’. That is our only business.
How our apology is received is not our business either.
Use only necessary words and DO NOT add a ‘but’ in there! No excuses!
In other words humility is necessary. So is speaking truth in love!
The result? Peace in our hearts and possibly reconciliation.
Both are God’s part.

Before I sat down to write this post I wrote a letter that’s words have been taking shape all week. It sits in my mailbox now waiting to be picked up.
The weight has lifted and I rest in my God restored no matter how my offering is received.

You see He is my Shepherd.
He leads me and restores me!

To God be the the Glory!


“The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You have anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows. Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭23:1-6‬ ‭NASB‬‬

On Hold?

Hello there my friends!
I don’t know about you, but this has been a challenging week for me!
Actually, I am pretty certain you have had your own challenges.
Even if we weren’t in the midst of this pandemic life usually presents us with a few on a regular basis. No doubt!

The season we are in has definitely presented extraordinary challenges.
The challenges of how to adjust our daily lives are ongoing.
So much that we took for granted isn’t even a choice right now.

For me the biggest challenge is not being able to hold those family dinners!  Then there is the inability to pop over to visit a friend or meet someone for coffee.
Relationships. They are still in tact, but at a distance.

I am grateful for FaceTime, Skype and Zoom! I may not be able to hug anyone, but at least I can talk face to face with them!

As I’m sure you are aware, there are many things on the challenge list, but there is no need to rehearse them.
What we need to do is focus on how we handle them.

Over the years, as I spent time with some precious people that struggled with addiction one of the common comments was...”I can’t wait to get back to my life.”
Many people in this world are echoing those words.

My response then and now?  ”What is it you are living now? Someone else’s life?”

I know what most everyone means is they want to get back to life as they knew it.
I get it.
However, no-one should dare to view their lives as on hold until the current situation they find themselves in passes.

There is a good challenge during this time.....seize the time to learn and grow!

Get to know your God better.
And thus get to know yourself better.
This will lead to strengthened relationships first with Papa and yourself and then with your dear family and friends.  Even at a distance.

What have you always intended to delve into but never found the time?
What refreshes your soul? Explore!

This week Papa, in His grace drew me out of a number of funks, so I could be living my life instead of wishing it were different.

On Monday I was feeling unsettled and not happy that the rest of the week was going to be wet and cold.  Then a gentle thought came that I was wasting a perfectly beautiful day worrying about tomorrow!  So I got out of the house and went for a hike alongside a river.
The sound of the river, along with the birds chirping happily in the trees along the banks and the crunch of my boots on the path settled my soul.

How gracious our God is!
A cousin of mine says He is extravagant in His grace and love. I agree!

Tuesday was wet and cold, but it is the day I watch my precious grandson while mommy and daddy work. Nothing blesses one’s heart more than a little one who is learning and growing before your eyes!  This kept me from dwelling on all the other grandkids and loved ones I cannot be with right now.
Grandma slept well that night, as he is now nine months old and in constant motion!

I have been using a shopping service for some of my groceries, but I have found it uncomfortable and it has felt disconnected to me.  Until Wednesday.
When an item isn’t available the shopper will message you to see if he can substitute it with another item.
This happened and as we exchanged messages the shopper was getting stressed by the app and, I believe, the whole shopping thing.  I learned later that he normally does tree work and just took this job so he could have some income right now. As a typical guy shopping isn’t fun for him.
Some of his messages had me doubled over laughing!
Papa also allowed me to lighten the mood for him too.

So is this my typical life? It is for now. Life isn’t on hold. It’s just different.
I believe it will never go back to what it was so I had better be flexible!

Now we come to Thursday.
I had been praying nonstop for a friend who had CF. She was in the hospital for quite a while waiting for two compatible lungs. The surgery happened in January and she went home a couple of weeks ago.
Somehow she caught COVID-19. She died yesterday leaving a ten year old daughter. I told my God it just wasn’t right! True injustice!
What do I know?  Not much.
I do know Papa is loving and good. This is the One who brought me peace in the midst of this heartbreak.
 I know He doesn’t cause these calamities and injustices, but is intending to redeem all the brokenness. We need but rest in Him.

To rest in Him we need to get to know Him. We have the opportunity right now.
Today is a perfect time to draw nearer Him.
I know that was His intention for me this Friday.
I’m spending the day on the couch waiting for the reaction to the shingles shot to pass.
That’s life.
My life.
A perfect time to draw near my great God and live my life in its fullness!

“Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.”
‭‭James‬ ‭4:8‬ a NASB‬‬

“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High Will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the LORD, “My refuge and my fortress, My God, in whom I trust!””
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭91:1-2‬ ‭NASB‬‬