One who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
Will lodge in the shadow of the Almighty. Psalm 91:1
For about as long as I have been reading the Bible, the Book of Psalms has been my favorite Old Testament book. It spans the entire breadth of human emotion and need. It is poetic, musical, and filled with wisdom. Simile and metaphor in the verses stirs not just the imagination but the heart with its beauty.
When I think about my favorite psalms, one that immediately comes to mind is Psalm 91. A wonderful psalm about God’s protection and provision for His children. Satan brought it up when he was tempting Jesus in the wilderness (Matthew 4:6). This is the verse Satan quoted from Psalm 91:
For He will give His angels orders concerning you,
To protect you in all your ways.
On their hands they will lift you up,
So that you do not strike your foot against a stone. Psalm 91:11-12
Satan was tempting Jesus to throw Himself down from the pinnacle of the temple to prove Jesus was who He said He was. Jesus wisely responded that we do not tempt God by doing something foolish. But the point I want to make is that even our enemy Satan knows Psalm 91 is about God protecting His people.
I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress,
My God, in whom I trust!”
For it is He who rescues you from the net of the trapper
And from the deadly plague. Psalm 91:2-3
How wonderful and what a blessing it is to be able to run to God for protection from our enemy no matter what form that enemy might take. God rescues us from the traps and snares the enemy lays in our path, and from wicked people who want to lead us into dangerous places. Yet if we take shelter in the Lord, holding fast to His teachings and guidance, we are kept safe.
He will cover you with His pinions,
And under His wings you may take refuge;
His faithfulness is a shield and wall. Psalm 91:4
Whether the attack comes at night or at midday we are safe when we trust in the Lord. When we refuse to run in terror before our enemies but rather hold tightly to our heavenly Father, we will withstand the storm. We will survive the plague and endure the afflictions and dangers that beset us all around.
You will not be afraid of the terror by night,
Or of the arrow that flies by day;
Of the plague that stalks in darkness,
Or of the destruction that devastates at noon.
A thousand may fall at your side
And ten thousand at your right hand,
But it shall not approach you.
You will only look on with your eyes
And see the retaliation against the wicked. Psalm 91:5-8
God’s children are covered in the sheltering wings of a loving Father. Danger may be all around us. Suffering and trouble may come knocking at our door. But you cannot defeat a child of God, not even in death, for our victory and outcome is assured no matter how dark and dreary things may appear.
For you have made the Lord, my refuge,
The Most High, your dwelling place.
No evil will happen to you,
Nor will any plague come near your tent.
For He will give His angels orders concerning you,
To protect you in all your ways.
On their hands they will lift you up,
So that you do not strike your foot against a stone.
You will walk upon the lion and cobra,
You will trample the young lion and the serpent. Psalm 91:5-14
Christians do not talk about angels much. Perhaps at Christmastime when the Christmas story is told and angels announced the birth of Jesus to the shepherds, then angels are mentioned. But beyond that angels are seldom spoken of. Yet who do you think is protecting God's children? That car that barely missed your child, that few moments of delay that saved your life, times without end that you didn't even realize your life had been spared. Angels are dispatched by God when we pray. It was an angel that shut the lion's mouth that kept Danel from being killed (Daniel 6:22). An angel struck down Israel's enemy the Assyrians killing 185,000 of them (2 Kings 19:35). Again an angel appeared to Gideon and set him on his course to become a hero for Israel. The times angels are mentioned in the Bible go on and on. An angel appeared to Mary and told her she would bring the Messiah, our Savior into the world (Luke 1:26-35). I could write long articles about angels and hardly do justice to the subject. My purpose in pointing them out here is so you will never think, not even for a moment, that you have no heavenly help. Consider the following verse from the Book of Hebrews:
Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation? Hebrews 1:14
Yet for those who reject God there can be no expectation of heavenly help and divine protection. Though perhaps a Christian relative is praying for them and God will have mercy and intervene on their behalf, nevertheless it is to the Children of God that so many Biblical promises are made. Promises are made to the Jews in the Old Testament, and to us as the blessings of the Jews came upon us through the New Covenant provided by Jesus Christ our Lord. So yes, the Old Testament promises are ours’ thanks to Jesus. Psalm 91 along with other Psalms and other Old Testament books apply to us when it comes to God’s protection and provision and will for our lives.
“Because he has loved Me, I will save him;
I will set him securely on high, because he has known My name.
He will call upon Me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble;
I will rescue him and honor him.
I will satisfy him with a long life,
And show him My salvation.” Psalm 91:14-16
Psalm 91 is an amazing psalm of protection for God’s people. When you are feeling down, discouraged, and especially when you feel threatened or in danger, or perhaps a friend or family member is in peril, speak and pray Psalm 91 aloud. Strengthen your heart and mind as you consider its words and promises. Let it fill you with courage and faith. For God’s Word is our Sword and Shield, embrace It and be strengthened in His Word.
