Psalm 91:5 “You will not be afraid of the terror by night, or of the arrow that flies by day.” Jesus said in John 14:27 “Peace I leave you, My peace I give you; not as the world gives, do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, nor fearful.” The peace that Jesus gives is not the absence of trouble, but the confidence that He is there with you always. Terrorism, corruption, evil and real problem exist; we are not to live in denial, but be respectfully cautious of them while fully putting our trust in the Lord.
Psalm 91:6 “Of the plague that stalks in darkness, or of the destruction that devastates at noon.” It doesn’t make a difference if we are aware of the plans made against us or not; we do not need to live in fear. Fear in itself is a real enemy. Jesus constantly said: “Fear not.” Isaiah 26:3-4 says, “The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace, because he trusts in You. Trust in the Lord forever, for in God the Lord, we have an everlasting Rock.
Psalm 91:7 “A thousand may fall at your side and ten thousand at your right hand, but it shall not approach you.” God has built a hedge of protection and surrounded us with an angelic company to protect the children of God in this fallen world.
Psalm 91:8 “You will only look on with your eyes and see the retaliation against the wicked.” If you knew that in 15 minutes that you’d have to stand in judgment before our just and holy God and going to find out your eternal destiny, how would you react?” Confidence in your salvation and kingdom work on earth or guilt-filled fear of the deserved consequences for rejecting Christ and God’s sovereign reign and rule. Well done good and faithful servant or part from me, you never knew you? At the “Great White Throne” judgment, we shall see both the wicked and the righteous rewarded justly for their deeds or lack thereof. Psalm 32:10-11 says, “The sorrows of the wicked are many, but the one who trusts in the Lord, goodness will surround him. Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous ones; And shout for joy, all you who are upright in heart.” Jesus paid the price for our salvation in full. Our salvation is all because of Jesus; not by anything that we can do. It’s all because of Christ’s finished work of salvation on the Cross.
Psalm 91:9 “For you have made the Lord, my refuge, the Most High, your dwelling place.” We dwell in God. Yet, our bodies have room for two inhabitants – you and the Holy Spirit. If we grasp the truth that the Spirit dwells inside us, it would change our lives. Maybe it would change the things that we do, the things that we watch, the things that we say, and our core behavior. We are guilty of our sins but find refuge in the Lord and remain there because of the death of Jesus Christ. The Lord is our dwelling place – the place where we live, not occasionally visit. Our relationship with God is constant and permanent. God is not there just for time that we need something or am in trouble. John 15:7 “If you remain in Me, and My words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” When our will is aligned with God’s will, then we desire what God desires and our wish is the Lord’s wish and it will be done for you. We love the “ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you” half of this verse, but we sometimes ignore the condition of “If you remain in Me and My words remain in you”.
Psalm 91:10 “No evil will happen to you, nor will any plague come near your tent.” If God is our safe refuge, how could evil or plague come near? We are eternally safe in God when we dwell in Him. Jesus taught His disciples to pray: “deliver us from evil”. If you are in Christ, then God has already delivered you from evil and continues to keep you safe.
Psalm 91:11 “For He will give His angels orders concerning you, to protect you in all your ways.” We may treat angels lightly, but these are actually warrior angels sent to fight on our behalf and to minister to us when we need them. They are really out there.
Psalm 91:12 “On their hands they will lift you up, so that you do not strike your foot against a stone.” Satan tempted Jesus in Matthew 4:6 telling Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written: ‘He will give His angels orders concerning You’; and ‘On their hands they will lift You up, so that You do not strike Your foot against a stone.’” These same warrior angels protect the child of God.
Psalm 91:13 “You will walk upon the lion and cobra, you will trample the young lion and the serpent.” What appears to be over your head is actually under your feet. Satan is a described as a roaring lion and a serpent. Be at peace with God, Satan is a defeated foe. The battle belongs to the Lord.
Psalm 91:14 “Because he has loved Me, I will save him; I will set him securely on high, because he has known My name.” We love God because he first loved us. With that love come our salvation and continued daily protection. He has the name above all names. It is more than just knowing His name and believing in God. It is knowing, loving and following the One who sets us free. We have His assurance that He will listen to us and He will answer. In His name the enemy is defeated.
Psalm 91:15 “He will call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him.” What a wonderful fact! We call upon Him, He answers us, He is with us in times of trouble, He rescues us, and even though we are unworthy, He still honors us.
Psalm 91:16 “I will satisfy him with a long life, and show him My salvation.” You cannot get a longer life than eternal life. So, we need to be encouraged as Believers. We do not have grounds for fear or reasons to despair. No circumstance can crush us when we draw close to God and live in the shelter of the Most High. Troubled times will pass. We have to remember the eternal, omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent God is not only our refuge, but our strength. We need to choose to know Him, love Him, trust Him and follow Him.
In Christ, Brian
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