The God of Time

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.” (Psalm 91:1-2 ESV). Psalm 91 is written by David. It is one of the most revealing looks into the heart of this man who is called “a man after God’s own heart.” Certainly all of us have read and heard the failures of David recounted in numerous ways and settings; however, we also need to remember the great understanding he had of the character and nature of God. In our reading today, David provides some great insights to the Person of God by using four different titles for God. First he refers to God as “the Most High.” In Hebrew, Most High is El Elyon. This word describes God as the One who owns and possesses everything. Second, David then calls God “the Almighty.” In Hebrew this is the word El Shaddai, which conveys the thought of provision. Not only is He the living God. He is also the giving God. Third, David then calls God “the Lord.” That is the Hebrew word Yahweh. This is the personal name God gave to Moses in the burning bush (cf. Exodus 3:14). Yahweh means "to be" or "I will be who I will be." Yahweh is God's personal testimony that no one or nothing else defines who He is but Himself. Therefore, we know God by reading the Scripture's account of what He says about Himself. Fourth, David refers to God as “My God.” My God in Hebrew is Elohim. It essentially means "more than one." This is not to say that there are three gods, but that there are three persons of the Trinity: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. In these two compact verses, David tells us that the all-knowing, all-powerful God who possesses heaven and earth and is in a special covenant with us, wants to protect us and provide for our needs. This gives us great confidence in the God Whom we worship and serve. It also gives us confidence as we face our daily lives. I am constantly amazed at the ease with which I fail to recognize the provision of God through the entire continuum of life. Because I live within the constraints of quantitative time, I often miss the greatness of God’s qualitative nature regarding time. Because God has no deadlines he is always “on time” with the experiences of our life. That is a great comfort to me. I need not worry about what happens this moment because God holds every moment.