**The Shelter of the Most High**

The sun had long since dipped below the horizon, casting the wilderness into a deep, velvety darkness. The campfires of Israel flickered like distant stars scattered across the valley, their glow barely holding back the vast unknown that stretched beyond. Among the tents, a lone figure sat, his face illuminated by the warm light of a small oil lamp. His name was Eliab, a man who had seen many seasons of hardship and deliverance. Tonight, he gathered the children of the camp to tell them of a truth greater than the fears that lurked in the night.

“Listen, little ones,” Eliab began, his voice steady and warm, “and I will tell you of the refuge that never fails, the fortress that never falls.” The children drew closer, their wide eyes fixed upon him.

“Long ago, before our fathers crossed the sea on dry ground, before the manna fell from heaven, there was a promise—a song of deliverance. The psalmist sang of it, saying: *’He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.’* Do you know what that means?”

A small girl, Miriam, shook her head. “Is it like hiding under a big rock when the storm comes?”

Eliab smiled. “Yes, but even greater. The Most High is not a rock that can crumble or a shadow that fades. He is eternal, unchanging. To dwell in His shelter means to trust Him with all your heart, to make Him your home, not just in times of trouble, but always.”

He continued, his voice weaving the words of the psalm into a tapestry of vivid imagery. “The psalmist says, *’I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.’* Imagine a mighty citadel, its walls unshaken by the fiercest siege. No enemy can breach it, no arrow can pierce it. That is what God is to those who trust in Him.”

One of the boys, Reuben, frowned. “But what about the terrors at night? The pestilence that walks in darkness?”

Eliab nodded solemnly. “Ah, the world is full of dangers—seen and unseen. But hear the promise: *’You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.’* God does not promise that we will never face peril, but He does promise that if we make Him our dwelling, no evil can truly overcome us.”

Miriam’s brother, Josiah, piped up. “But how can we be sure? What if the enemy is too strong?”

Eliab lifted his hands, gesturing to the vast sky above. “A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. Why? Because you have made the Lord your dwelling. His angels are commanded to guard you in all your ways. They will lift you up in their hands, lest you strike your foot against a stone.”

The children gasped in awe. “Angels?” whispered Miriam.

“Yes,” Eliab affirmed. “Mighty warriors of heaven, unseen but ever-present. And more than that—God Himself is with you. The psalmist declares, *’Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him; I will protect him, because he knows my name.’* To know His name is to know His heart. He is not a distant king but a loving Father.”

A quiet settled over the group as the weight of the words sank in. The night seemed less fearsome now, the shadows less threatening.

Eliab leaned forward, his voice softening. “And there is more. *’When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.’* This is the promise of the Most High—not just for this life, but for eternity.”

The children sat in silence, their hearts full. The oil lamp flickered, casting dancing shadows, but the truth they had heard was a light that no darkness could extinguish.

As they returned to their tents, the words of the psalm echoed in their minds: *He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High…* And for the first time, they understood—they were not alone in the wilderness. The Almighty Himself was their refuge, their fortress, their everlasting home.

And so, beneath the watchful care of heaven, they slept in peace.