Living in the Shelter of the Most High - Part 1

Psalm 91 He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.” Surely, He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler and

from the perilous pestilence. He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler. You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day, nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday. A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand; but it shall not come near you. Only with your eyes shall you look, and see the reward of the wicked. Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge, even the Most High, your dwelling place, no evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling; For He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways. In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone. You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra, the young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot. “Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name. He shall call upon 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 last Sunday, we attended my father’s church and Pastor Herk preached on Psalm 91. He pointed out that looking at our lives, it is fair to say that we all have problems pop up from time to time; some big and some small. When we were in the midst of a difficult circumstance, it is a wonderful thing to remember God’s Word and the promises that He makes to us. Most Christians have a favorite Bible verse or maybe a “life verse” that they love (ones of God’s promises, love, mercy or a prayer). In life’s problems moments, it is comforting to turn to God’s Word because we need a place to go when we are stressed or depressed, tired or lonely, fearful or tempted, disappointed or discouraged, unloading our burdens and get some relief.

 

Psalm 91 continues to be a source of strength and hope, of promise and encouragement. It is an expression of the Child of God’s confidence in Divine protection and deliverance. Like an eagle, we look at our heavenly Father as One who covers us with his wings so that we have a safe place; and all it takes to get us there is prayer. What a wonderful thing that is! It the Bible there are conditional and unconditional promises that God makes. 2 Chronicles 7:14 says, “if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” Likewise, we can claim the promises of Psalm 91, if we meet the requirements and if we make the Lord our refuge and fortress; if we make the Most High our shelter.

 

He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. Note the conditions in this verse. It says “those who dwell”, not those who visit, not those who profess, not one who wishes, but one who lives, stays, and remains. In John 15:4 Jesus said, “Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.” The Hebrew word for “secret place” is “say'-ther” meaning

covering, shelter, hiding place, secrecy. Psalm 32:7 “You are my hiding place; You

keep me from trouble; You surround me with songs of deliverance. ”In this place of shelter, there is protection and provision for those who believe in God and trust Him in every situation or circumstance.

Let's continue Pastor Herk's message of God being our shelter in the next post.

In Christ, Brian