The Lord is my Shelter
The Lord is my Shelter.
Psalm 91 (A Psalm of David):
1 Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” 3 Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. 4 He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. 5 You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, 6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. 7 A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. 8 You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked.
9 If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,” and you make the Most High your dwelling, 10 no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent. 11 For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; 12 they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. 13 You will tread on the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent. 14 “Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. 15 He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. 16 With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.”
When reading Psalm 91, David exhibits evidence of a life of deep rest in Almighty God which is something every Christ follower is invited to partake in.
Evidence #1: David is calm.
David shows how he finds rest in God in verses 1-2:
In verse 1, David shows that he has made a habit of dwelling, abiding, and residing in the shelter of the Most High. He equates resting in the Lord to living IN the Lord. This signifies slowing down, being still, and listening carefully to God’s voice. As a result, David summarizes his relationship with the Lord in verse 2: “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” Only someone who is slowed down enough to hear God’s voice can confidently assert statement such as these.
Evidence #2: David is confident.
David’s confidence is rooted in God’s unchanging character as shown in verse 4: “. . . His faithfulness will be your shield.” God is faithful because He IS God. He is under no obligation to “prove” that He is God to anyone. It’s simply who He is.
Therefore, David has total assurance no matter what evils he faces. Because God is God, He MUST be on the throne. If God isn’t on the throne then He would cease to be God rather He wouldn’t have been God in the first place.
In verses 5-8, a number of “what-if’s” are proposed. We all face uncertainty in this life. David acknowledges this by embracing his limits and trusting in the limitless God. Verses 5-6 are filled with scary what-if scenarios: “. . . terror of night . . . the arrow that flies by day . . . pestilence that stalks in the darkness . . . plague that destroys at midday.” However, God Himself is the Answer to all life’s what-if’s which should calm our fears.
Furthermore David asserts that all wickedness will ultimately answer to God in verses 7-8. We often question God for allowing evil. Make no mistake, in GOD’S time (not our time) all evil will be rightly judged by the Eternal Judge. The Lord sees everything in one view. We do not.
Evidence #3: David is centered.
As the Psalm winds down, it’s apparent that David understands his God given purpose and mission in verses 9-15. David’s confidence in the Lord draws him to say in verse 9, ‘”If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,” and you make the Most High your dwelling . . . ”’ David is now guiding the reader of this Psalm to the path of true rest.
In conclusion, verses 14 and 15 contain “I will” statements directly from the mouth of the Lord directed to those who love Him and know His Name: ‘“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 these heavenly treasures in our quiver, we can rest assured and rest secure in the everlasting love of the God.
Keep Looking Up,
Rev. Jon Barrett | Executive Director of CVCCS