Among all the
psalms, I know of few others which have been such a constant source of
encouragement and security for one who believes in the one true Living God and
His son Jesus Christ. We Christians are a motley bunch - We claim to be
children of the living God, yet we face much insecurity in our lives. I have to
confess I too sometimes fall prey to the lies of satan and live in a state
where I am ignorant of my position in Christ and my covenant rights. The word
of God is filled with so many references which remind us to fear not , but to
trust in His promises. And today, I'd like to travel through this blessed psalm
and understand the precious security that this word offers us. The Lord Jesus
says : my words are spirit and life (John 6:63). As we go through this
Psalm , I request you to take
these words literally and apply them to your lives. God loves it when we take
Him at the face value and trust Him.
The
qualification for protection
(Ps 91:1) He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High
shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
I wish I could say
that the Lord's promises are unconditional, But they are often not. Here, we see a very easy way
to enter into the protection of our Lord! We need to be one who lives in the
secret place of our Lord Jesus. They shall abide in the shadow of the almighty.
For a new covenant believer, this takes on a new meaning. Col 3:1-3 reminds us
that If we are risen with Christ, seek the things which are above. Set your
affection, your desires, on the things in heaven - not on the things on this
earth. Be heavenly minded - not earthly minded. Don't be a friend of this world
- be a friend of God. Friendship with the world is enmity with God. If we are
born again, baptized and living in the light, as per this verse, the Lord says
: we are dwelling in the secret place of
the most high. and to such a person, He promises, that We shall be under
the shadow of the almighty. Remember, when the children of Israel had gone
through the wilderness on their journey, The Lord was the share - the pillar of
cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night. This is the blessedness that the
Lord desires for us too. The verse (Hos 14:7) reminds us "They that dwell under his shadow shall return; they
shall revive [as] the corn, and grow as the vine: the
scent thereof [shall be] as the wine of Lebanon.".
The covenant
promise of protection
(Ps 91:2) I will say of the LORD, [He is] my refuge and
my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.
For one who has
thus received the covenant of protection from the Lord, our first response is
one of acknowledging Him as the Lord and saying that Lord indeed, you are my
refuge and none else. The word "Fortress" means an impenetrable
castle defense. Indeed when we are in Christ, the enemy cannot come into our
lives and go out at will. The Lord is the stronghold and defense. Indeed, the
righteous run into Him and they are safe. Oh what peace we often forfeit
because we don't take our fears and insecurities to Him in the time of our
need. Like the psalmist says: My soul flees as a bird unto the mountain that He
is. (Ps 18:2) The LORD [is] my rock, and my fortress, and my
deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn
of my salvation, [and] my high tower. What an amazing God we serve.
The protection
from the traps of the enemy and pestilence
(Ps 91:3) Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the
fowler, [and] from the noisome pestilence.
Surely - Surely - Surely - He shall deliver thee. Let's get this into our hearts. If the Lord says
surely - He means surely. Oh how numerous are the snares that the evil one and
his evil men have laid for the beloved of the Lord ?! Yet, the Lord promises to
deliver us from all of those. Psa 124:7 says: Our soul is escaped as a bird
fleeing from the snare of the fowler ; The snare is broken and we are escaped.
Bless the Lord - oh Ye His children. For more encouragement: Read these verses.
Ps
141:9; Job 5:19; Ps 119:110; Prov 6:5;
The complete 360
degree protection
(Ps 91:4) He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his
wings shalt thou trust: his truth [shall be thy] shield and buckler.
What a picture !
the Lord shall cover us. Isaiah 31:5 says: As birds flying, the Lord shall
preserve Jerusalem, and deliver and preserve it in passing over it.
Let's focus on the
second part - His truth is our shield and buckler. The buckler is a shield
which offers a surrounding protection (or a 360 degree protection). Another
version reminds us that His Faithfulness is my shield and rampart. Friends, His
word, His truth and His faithfulness are what forms our spiritual armor. He
shall protect and deliver us.
The constant
24/7 protection
(Ps 91:5) Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by
night; [nor] for the arrow [that] flieth by day;(Ps 91:6) [Nor] for the pestilence [that]
walketh in darkness; [nor] for the destruction [that]
wasteth at noonday.
Oh the night time
when the forces of evil are waxing strong and the wild beasts come forth. Yet,
for us, the Lord reminds us that we are to trust Him. His command (not his
suggestion or feel-good remark) is to Fear Not !! The night has no power over
us. In Christ is the fountain of life and by His light, we see the light and
darkness shall flee before the presence of the light. Son 3:8 gives us the
value of our spiritual sword - the Word of God - in the times of terror.
Because of the night, the soldier of the Lord is expected to keep his sword
near to him. Indeed he shall sleep peacefully (Prov 3:24) because of the sword
that is near to him. The Word gives us the offensive and defensive weapons in
our spiritual war against the enemy. While the enemy tries to attack us during
all the 4 watches of the 24-hour day, the Lord says : don't worry about the
terror or the arrow or the pestilence or the destruction. He is indeed our defense.
His eyes are on us - and He is in control 24/7.
The protection
even amidst the destruction happening around
(Ps 91:7) A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand
at thy right hand; [but] it shall not come nigh thee.
When we see the
mass destruction happening around the world - be not afraid. The lord says: it
shall not come near to thee.
The end of the
wicked
(Ps 91:8) Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the
reward of the wicked.
The righteous
become weary in seeing the flourishing wickedness and the wicked agents. But
the Lord reminds us - that we shall indeed behold the punishment of the wicked.
They shall be no more. When the wicked are multiplied, sin abounds, but the
righteous shall see their fall. Asaph struggled with this - When he saw the
wicked flourishing, He went to the sanctuary of the Lord and understood their
end destiny of condemnation, consumption and destruction.
The protection
for His temple - His household
(Ps 91:9) Because thou hast made the LORD, [which is] my
refuge, [even] the most High, thy habitation;(Ps 91:10) There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any
plague come nigh thy dwelling.
Another conditional
blessing. Have we made Him our dwelling place ? our habitation ? If so, NO evil
shall befall you nor a plague come near your dwelling. Because, guess what,
it's the Lord's dwelling. We are the household of God and we are His holy
temple. Deut 33:27 reminds us : The
eternal God [is thy] refuge, and underneath [are] the everlasting
arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say,
Destroy [them].
The Supernatural
protection
(Ps 91:11) For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to
keep thee in all thy ways.(Ps
91:12) They shall bear thee up
in [their] hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.
In the modern world
of skepticism and unbelief (even among the believers), it's tough to believe in
the angelic ministry. But the fact is : We all have atleast 2, probably more,
angels assigned to us as we go about our day to day life. I have personally
enjoyed such protection so often, amidst accidents and mishaps, when I might
have been taken from the world, the Lord graciously gave back my life. I
believe it was the angelic ministry. Heb 1:14 reminds us that angels are
ministering spirits who are sent forth to minister to them who are heirs of
salvation. (That is, they are sent forth to minister to US!) Ever seen a prince
go to school ? He will be accompanied by soldiers and plain
clothesmen because he is
of royal blood. And remember, when we are a disciple of Christ, the royal blood
of the king of kings and Lord of Lords flows through us. Yes, what further
excuse do we have to fear?
Not just
defensive - but offensive
(Ps 91:13) Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young
lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.
Is this even real ?
What an audacious promise ! Yet, it's the word of God. In the spirit or even in
the physical realm, when our life demands such an action from us, the Lord
shall enable us to do this. We shall tread upon the forces of darkness and we shall
shake and do damage to the kingdom of darkness.
The son of man has
already crushed the head of the serpent and the remaining victory is reserved
for us - the church. Rom 16:20 says : The God of peace shall bruise Satan under
your feet shortly. The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you !
Daniel in the lions
den was more powerful than the lions - because the Lord was with Him. Paul in acts
28:5 was more powerful than the viper because the royal blood was coursing
through him.
The sure
deliverance
(Ps 91:14) Because
he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on
high, because he hath known my name.(Ps 91:15) He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I [will
be] with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.
Friends, everything
in the kingdom of God is based on the relation that we have with Jesus Christ.
Because we have set our love on Jesus, therefore He shall deliver us. Simple !
Because we have known His name, He shall set us on high.
If only we call out
to Him, He shall answer us !
Do Christians have
trouble ? Yes, we do. Salvation is not a guarantee against troubles. But the
Lord promises that He SHALL be with us in trouble. AND he shall deliver us and
HE shall HONOR us ! What an awesome God !And every disciple worth his salt will proclaim that the real life changing moments were those times that they had trouble. They walked away from their troubles with great treasures of darkness. (the treasures you can't get any other way !!)
Is the hand of the
Lord shortened or His ears dulled against our cries ? Never. If we yield to a
broken cry to Him, He shall answer from His throne.
The Eternal
promise
(Ps 91:16) With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my
salvation.
with eternal life
(not just a long life here on earth) - in the house of God - in the constant
presence of the living God - shall he satisfy us ! and he shall bring us to the
fullness of His salvation. Not a promise that ends with this world, but an
eternal promise that spills over into all of eternity.
My
prayer for us
As we read these
verses, let the words become a part of you. Let it encourage you and build you
up to make you into the man or woman of God that He has destined you to be. May
the Lord establish you and strengthen you and settle you into a life of
abounding fruitfulness forever. May the Lord break off the yokes and burdens of
fear and insecurity and inadequacy to set you free and set you apart for his
purposes.
God bless you much.
PS: Personally I
pray-read this psalm DAILY and I find it such a blessing and it has been the
source of deliverance throughout my faith life. I'd like to encourage you also
to do the same and experience the real power of the Lord and His matchless word
in your lives. Bless you.
