This Week's Devo

 The Shelter That Moves With You

“Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty"

 —Psalm 91:1

Everything I owned was packed snugly in the bed of my dad’s pickup truck as I set out across the country, leaving behind every comfort I had ever known. 

I had gone off to college before, but this was different. My freshman year, dorm life had been tucked safely inside the walls of my Christian university —and home had always been just a short flight back to New Mexico, where my parents were. 

After that first year away, I returned to the familiar rhythms of my parents’ house while attending the local university, exploring adulthood with the safety net of home still firmly beneath me.

But now, God was calling me to step out —far out—past the familiar and into faith.  So the truck was packed, the gas tank was full, and the two-day drive to South Carolina brimmed with excitement and anticipation for the new life waiting for me there. 

But when we arrived, unloaded the last box, and it was time to say goodbye… a weight hit me.

This goodbye felt final. 

Yes, I would return for holidays, but my life would now be rooted here —away from every comfort and safety net I had known. Living here meant everything I did would now be established in this new place. This is where I would work and worship, where my needs would be met, where I’d build community, where I’d shop for groceries, find a mechanic, set up utilities, form habits, and invest my time, heart, and talents.

I believe it was that day —as a 21-year-old girl watching my parents drive away —that I began to understand what it truly means to live in the shelter of the Most High. I was stepping out from the sheltering wings of my parents and into the refuge of the Almighty. 

Psalm 91 says, “Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.”

We love this Psalm because of the benefits —protection, comfort, rest, promise. It’s so easy to camp out in the blessings and bask in the assurances. But we often overlook the word that unlocks them all: live. 

Those who live in the shelter of the Most High…

When I moved to South Carolina, life had to change. 

I couldn’t run to the same grocery store or coffee shop or friend group because I no longer lived in that space. 

In the same way, when we choose to live in the shelter of the Most High, things must change. We cannot run back to the old comforts and coping mechanisms where we relied on our own strength or understanding. We cannot dip our toes in the presence of God and then retreat to our former ways.

Living in His shelter means that everything we do must be rooted there. 

Every decision.

Every thought.

Every talent used.

Every word spoken.

All flowing from the rich soil of His presence, His promises, and His protection.

It means we do not live in fear of the struggle —we rest in the strength of the Almighty. 

We do not toil for temporary gain —we invest in eternal treasure.

We do not run back to old comforts or misleading mindsets — we move boldly with the confidence of angels holding us up. 

This is what it means to live in the shelter of the Most High.

When I stood in that unfamiliar place, watching my parents’ truck disappear down the road, I felt exposed and unsure —yet covered in a way I couldn’t explain.

Because the shelter of the Most High isn’t tied to geography —it travels with you.

It covers you.

It steadies you.

It becomes home.

And Psalm 91 makes one thing unmistakably clear:

This promise isn’t for the casual visitor —it’s a covenant for the dweller.

For the one who chooses to stay.

To root their lie, their thoughts, their habits, and their hopes in Him.

And when you choose to dwell there —to anchor everything in the shadow of the Almighty — every unknown becomes a place of possibility.

Every season becomes a space for growth.

Every road becomes safe, because the One who goes before you is also the one who shelters you.

Live there.

Root yourself there.

And discover the unshakeable refuge of the Almighty.