Beneath the Canopy of His Unchanging Care

Have you ever felt like your view of God was blocked? Like you couldn’t see Him? Maybe something happened that left you feeling like it was impossible to find your way back from it.

Something that shattered your trust and left you feeling far from God, not knowing how to come to Him. It can be hard to believe again.

It takes a work of the Holy Spirit to bring the depth of comfort and healing we need to turn us around, especially when things are so raw.

God patiently begins healing our wounds and sorrows in layers. We have seen God's help and healing in other areas, so we know He can help us heal with this too.

The things that are impossible with man are possible with God. There's nothing beyond His reach—not even this.

Sometimes when we’re stuck, nothing makes sense. We don’t see a reason or hope. But God has a way of breaking through the barriers that hinder us. Here is something that helped me when I felt that way too. One day as I was reading Matthew 11:28-30 these words softly spoke to me “for I am gentle and humble in heart.”

“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)

God Is So Different

As I continued to look at other passages, I kept seeing that each time a verse spoke of His tenderness, it was followed by His greatness and power. Isaiah 40:11-12 is just one example. He was painting a portrait of His character for me, a beautiful depiction of strength and love, gentleness and majesty, power and kindness. God holds all the power yet chooses to humbly, intentionally be gentle and kind, to be patient and forgiving. He is not abusive with His power and authority. He doesn’t trample on us when He could squash us all like bugs. His love and authority, His love and power…are the perfect balance because He is perfect.

This is who He is, this is His leadership style; moreover, this is how He loves us. It isn’t anything like man’s love or the way that man loves. This humble yet powerful, gentle yet majestic almighty, all-knowing tenderhearted God loves us completely and uniquely above and beyond depths we cannot comprehend or wrap our minds around. In ways that are too unthinkable and unimaginable, He watches over and cares for every single detail of our life. He chooses to be with us.

He Is Our Permanent Home

I love how Deuteronomy 33:27 and Psalm 90:1-2 both speak of how God is our permanent dwelling place, “hiding place,” refuge, residence—home. In a temporal world, our God is unchanging; He is our constant, our immovable rock of safety and security.

The kind of dwelling place here is fascinating to me because it’s so unlike any earthly place we can run to or experience. Instead, it is with us wherever we go because He is with us always. We live in His presence every moment. In whatever we are thinking or doing, we are doing it before a Holy God and with our Creator, Savior, and Lord. We are enveloped in His care every day.

This view changes how we see everything. We don’t live in some broken, run-down dwelling. We live in a fortress and a palace, with our mighty warrior and king. We are not paupers or beggars on the street. We are richly supplied with the greatest of things. The house is not empty; we are not all alone. The almighty God and deliverer rules and reigns here… I love the word hiding place, it’s not so much a place to run away from things but rather to run to the open arms of love. We find our needs met and cared for, a place of security when the world is cruel and a place of rest when we are weary or just need some time alone away from life’s cares.

There is no area of our lives that God does not care about. No sickness, suffering, heartache, bondage, or fear. No crisis or need He’s not ready to meet. The same way that Hezekiah brought his letter and spread it out before the Lord (Isaiah 37:14-17), we must bring our crisis or challenges and lay them down before the Lord. Whatever our challenge is, it’s no match for Him. We are not defenseless, we are not defeated, we are not without help. God is our Creator.

It’s so good to remember the greatness of our God; the power and love of our Creator when we face overwhelming challenges, are filled with concerns, feel weary, or like our strength is failing—to know that we can rely on His strength. To know that it pleases Him for us to come to Him.

His Sustaining Power

Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh; is anything too difficult for Me? (Jeremiah 32:27)

In peace I will both lie down and sleep, For You alone, O Lord, make me to dwell in safety. (Psalm 4:8)

I lay down and slept; I awoke, for the Lord sustains me. (Psalm 3:5)

I have set the Lord continually before me because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore, my heart is glad and my glory rejoices; my flesh also will dwell securely. (Psalm 16:8-9)

Nevertheless, I am continually with You; You have taken hold of my right hand. (Psalm 73:23)

These promises of sustaining power become real when we recognize that we live continually in His presence.

He Covers Us Continually

I love these verses; they are so perfect! Because we live continually before the Lord, we are always in His presence and He is always with us.

Therefore, we have peace when we lie down or when we are awake, because we know He is keeping us safe, sustaining our life, watching over us—staying with us… “Holding our right hand.”

We are living each moment of our lives out in front of Him, on display before His eyes.

We are living under His sovereign protection and care. Nothing can separate us from Him or from His love. He will never leave or forsake us or leave us without help.

Because He is at my right hand I will not be shaken. — Psalm 16:8

These are words of comfort to the weary, fearful, or faint of heart. Seeing all the passages talking about His power and love, tenderness, and faithfulness, while being almighty and holy and then to connect them to us through His presence always being with us.

Always being with us living, breathing, walking, or talking. Every minute of our lives lived out with Him and before Him. Being held and sustained, supported; all ties together making Him the perfect place of security, rest, and safety.

What hope, comfort, and peace it brings knowing that we are always in Your presence, Lord. You are our continual covering; Your sovereign hand is always upon us and upon our lives. Thank You that You are always present with us.

When I look out the window and see that blue sky and all the things You’ve made, I’m reminded of Your power, loving hand that steadies me, stays with me, and upholds me, and I feel comforted. I quietly hear you whisper, “I am here.”

He Is Our Perfect Place Of Security

Security is also only something you can have if it is a trustworthy, reliable, dependable source. It is only true security if you can bank everything— your all upon it. If there is one area lacking, then it’s not fully secure.

People are not flawless; you can only rely on them to a certain limit or extent but with God, there is no limit. He is endless. Moreover, He is all loving, all powerful, and wise. There really isn’t anything that is too hard for God.

I think the most appealing thing of all is His tender, compassionate, and ever-loving heart. It's also no good to rely on or count on someone who isn’t because it’s so destructive, hurtful, painful, and crushing.

God is literally perfect in all His ways - In His love, power, mercies and faithfulness. What a refuge we have! What a joy, a treasure, and priceless gift! God is so perfectly righteous in all He does, in all His ways. Amazing!

It’s important to remember that our view of God is more than just about recognizing our own sinfulness in the presence of a Holy God, though that is a very important part but it’s also seeing “the perfection of a Holy God.” Seeing how perfectly holy, righteous, loving, faithful, good, caring, tender, compassionate and wise is what makes Him perfectly trustworthy, reliable, dependable and the perfect place of security, safety, and rest. The perfect refuge who is always present, stable and Holy, who is endlessly perfect—Forever and always! Who we can fully anchor our hearts in and always count on. How perfectly beautiful He truly is.

He Surrounds Us

The sky is not empty or some vast empty space. It is filled up with the presence of the God whom we live before. The air that surrounds us is from the breath You breathe. Just like Your Holy Spirit that lives inside of us.

Because You continually surround us and we know that You are with us throughout each day and each moment, we have peace in You—our permanent dwelling place.

Nowhere Beyond His Reach

There’s no time when He cannot reach you, No place where He cannot meet you, There’s no end to His love or watchful care. He’s already traveled from Heaven to earth for you.

"Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence?

If I ascend to heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there.

If I take the wings of the dawn, If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea,

Even there Your hand will lead me, and Your right hand will lay hold of me.”(Psalm 139:7-10)

He is Our Refuge, Woven in Eternal Love

Our permanent dwelling place and home.

The never-ending source of all that we need.

There will never come a time when He stops loving us.

“The mountains may disappear, and the hills may come to an end, but My love will never disappear; My promise of peace will not come to an end,” says the Lord who shows mercy to you. ”(Isaiah 54:10)

For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”( Hebrews 13:5)

The Lord appeared to him from afar, saying, “I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore I have drawn you with lovingkindness. ”(Jeremiah 31:3)

A Prayer of Gratitude

Lord, You are perfectly beautiful. You are perfectly for us and on our side.

Oh, how I marvel at Your love for us! And You having died for each one of us, Promising to never leave us!