Psalm 91

                                                                                                                                  

Aloha Dearest Family,

            In Psalm 103 it says of God 

“Bless the Lord O my soul and forget not all His benefits” (Psalm 103:2) 

Yes, it is very true that there are many, many benefits with God. In Psalm 91 we read even more of them. Psalm 91 has long been called the safety and protection psalm. In this psalm we read about God’s promise to protect and bless His people with continual safety and security in the midst of possible destruction. Yes, these are encouraging words, but they also reveal what God our Father wants for us. Starting in verse 3 we read 

“Surely He will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his feathers, and under His wings you will find refuge; His faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday.” (NIV)

 It is God’s will that you be protected and kept safe at all times.  He will cover you with His feathers (God is not a bird. He’s showing you an analogy) and under His wings refers to how mother birds tenderly take care of their young and keep them from harm. 

“A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.” (v. 7) This is some mighty protection. If you are in a battle, these are great words of encouragement.

            Wouldn’t people love to see this kind of care and protection in their own lives? Too many of God’s children feel like they are in a constant storm with no help in sight. So how do we claim these verses for our own? The answer is given in the first two verses of the psalm itself. 

"Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”

When we dwell, I mean really root ourselves, in the shelter of the Most High we will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. When we rest in His shadow no power on earth can get to us. Furthermore, when we put our trust in Him, He can be our refuge and fortress. This is the secret to seeing the words of this psalm come to life. If we keep reading in verse 9 we will see some of the same sentiment. 

“If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,” and you make the Most High your dwelling, no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent. For He will command his angels concerning you guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. You will tread on the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent.” 

If we want to see these verses come to pass in our lives we must make God our refuge and make the Most High our dwelling.  Many people assume that when we get born again God would automatically do these things, but the truth is, we must choose to dwell daily in God’s presence and make Him our rest and comfort. This is what God truly wants for our lives. Verses 14-16 show us God’s heart, 

“Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.” 

This is available to us because we devotedly love Him and we want to dwell in His presence continually.     

                                Love always, Ray