As God sustains us and we allow his inner work into our souls, stability becomes our watchword. In fact, stability is also a physical necessity. Exercises that strengthen the core keep us stable as we age, eliminating dangerous falls that can break bones and disable us.
When life is hard, we need the stabilizing force of God’s presence in the spiritual, emotional, and mental realms of life. To keep us from falling into deceptive traps or following the mob mentality that leads to chaos.
Psalm 91:1 reminds us to “…remain stable and fixed — steady — under the shadow of the Almighty.” So how do we remain stable?
- We stand firm in the shadow of the Almighty.
- We focus on helpful words, such as Psalm 91.
- We keep distractions away.
- We read books and listen to podcasts that build up our faith.
- We spend time with God’s people – a stability of community.
- We trust God more and more and more.
Depending on the position of an object and its light source, shadows are created. Some long and wide. Others thin and almost imperceptible. But to live under a shadow, we must be near the object.
In literature, we often think of shadows as a negative — as in “the valley of the shadow of death.” (Psalm 23:4).
But this shadow in Psalm 91 where we find stability is the shadow formed by El-Shaddai — the God described as the mountain God. Strong. Larger than life. Seen for miles. A protective fortress we can climb and see forever.
As we remain close to this mountain God, as we abide in God’s protective shadow — we stabilize. Kept from falling spiritually and able to feel that security, that sustaining power of God’s presence.
When life feels unstable and we are wobbling on the edge of chaos, we can trust the truth that mountains are difficult to ignore. We can keep our focus on the stability of the mountain God and rest in the assurance that he will never ever let us fall.
How does the visual of the mountain God encourage you?
©2026 RJ Thesman – All Rights Reserved
Image Attribution: Chiem Seherin / Pixabay
The stability of God is something I need every day. Read more about stability in Sustain Us, Oh Lord: Finding Strength When Life is Hard.