Psalm 91 (NLT)
1 Those who live in the shelter of the Most High
will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 This I declare about the Lord:
He alone is my refuge, my place of safety;
he is my God, and I trust him.
3 For he will rescue you from every trap
and protect you from deadly disease.
4 He will cover you with his feathers.
He will shelter you with his wings.
His faithful promises are your armor and protection.
5 Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night,
nor the arrow that flies in the day.
6 Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness,
nor the disaster that strikes at midday.
7 Though a thousand fall at your side,
though ten thousand are dying around you,
these evils will not touch you.
8 Just open your eyes,
and see how the wicked are punished.
9 If you make the Lord your refuge,
if you make the Most High your shelter,
10 no evil will conquer you;
no plague will come near your home.
11 For he will order his angels
to protect you wherever you go.
12 They will hold you up with their hands
so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.
13 You will trample upon lions and cobras;
you will crush fierce lions and serpents under your feet!
14 The Lord says, “I will rescue those who love me.
I will protect those who trust in my name.
15 When they call on me, I will answer;
I will be with them in trouble.
I will rescue and honor them.
16 I will reward them with a long life
and give them my salvation.”
Pastor's Notes:
As I read this Psalm, I can't help but do so in the context of the current events. Every word of this Psalm reads as though it was written with this day and time in mind. This scripture is often referred to as the "Christians Insurance Policy". It is called this because of the guarantee of God's protection and deliverance from evil.
In the world today, all we have to do is look around and see fear, terror, disease, plague, and evil everywhere. However, this Psalm promises that God will not only deliver us from these things, but will also be a protective shield around us. If we stay under close to the Father, we will only see these things with our eyes, they will not upon us. Praise God for his promises!
Verses 1 through 3 start us off with his promises. Immediately, we are given the promise of rest during hard times. This promise comes with a condition, we must live in the shelter of God. This means that we must have a relationship with him through Jesus. We have to trust him in all things. We then are told that if we trust in God, he will be our refuge and a safe place. This is why we can have rest.
A refuge is a place of protection from danger or distress. So in times where we are afraid or in distress, we can run to God and know that he will provide a place of safety and protection. This place of refuge not only provides protection from attack, but at the end of verse 3 it even provides protection from "deadly disease". That is certainly a promise we can stand on today.
Verse 4 promises that God will shelter you under his wings. When I read this, I think of a mother goose or duck. Have you ever seen a mother goose protecting her babies? She will gather them together underneath her wings. This protects not only from other animals, but also from the weather. It keeps them warm when it is cold outside. God promises that he will do the same for us. He says that his promises, the ones we mentioned earlier, could not only protect us, but would also be armor about us. So not only do we have a layer of protection from being in a safe place, but we also have on armor to ensure nothing will harm us.
Verses 5 and 6 remind us that we have nothing to fear. Satan's number one weapon against humanity is fear. The majority of the time the fear of something turns out to be worse than the actual thing we are afraid of. So God reminds us in this Psalm that we do not have to fear night terrors, or sudden attacks, or disease, or even disasters. Why do we not have to fear these things? The answer is simple. Because we are in a place of safety where these things can not touch us.
Verses 7 and 8 is perhaps my favorite verse in this Psalm. Here God promises to protect you even when it seems like death is all around you. Right now, the news media is full of doom and gloom. But according to this verse, the current virus that is around the world will not come near you. He promises it when he says, "these evils will not touch you." Take God at his word! Stand on his promises of divine protection!
Verses 9 and 10 follow along with the previous section. Again, the promise of protection comes only when we make the Lord our refuge and shelter. So, for these promises to be a reality in our lives, we must have a close relationship with God through Jesus. The promises in these verses should be written down and read everyday, especially in our current situation! We are told that "no evil will conquer you; no plague will come near your home". Think about that! This plague that has gripped our world, will not come near your home! It may come to your state, your county, or even your town, but it will not cross your property line!
And why is that? Because in verses 11 through 13 we see that God will send his angels to protect you wherever you go. They will guard you and protect you at all times! They will encamp around your property to prevent evil or harm from coming near you!
Verses 14 through 16 shows us the determination of God to keep his promises. Again, these promises come with the understanding that one has to both love God and trust in him. This means you must have a personal relationship with God through Jesus. I love how he ends this Psalm by rephrasing every promise that was listed throughout the text. He will rescue you, he will protect you from harm, he will answer when you pray, he will be with you in times of trouble, he will honor you, and give you long life and salvation! What a way to end this Psalm!
God loves you dearly! He promises that if you do not fear and draw close to him, he will protect you. This virus, this plague cannot come near you if you draw close to God. He will protect you and your household! Let us give praise and thanksgiving to God for his wonderful promises! Amen
let us know how this verse spoke to you. Please leave a comment below telling us your thoughts as you read this Psalm and Pastor's Notes!
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