“Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; He is my God, and I trust Him. For He will rescue you from every trap and protect you from deadly disease. He will cover you with His feathers. He will shelter you with His wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection. Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night, nor the arrow that flies in the day. Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness, nor the disaster that strikes at midday. Though a thousand fall at your side, though ten thousand are dying around you, these evils will not touch you. Just open your eyes, and see how the wicked are punished. If you make the Lord your refuge, if you make the Most High your shelter, no evil will conquer you; no plague will come near your home. For He will order His angels to protect you wherever you go. They will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone. You will trample upon lions and cobras; you will crush fierce lions and serpents under your feet! The Lord says, “I will rescue those who love Me. I will protect those who trust in My name. When they call on Me,I will answer; I will be with them in trouble. I will rescue and honor them. I will reward them with a long life and give them my salvation.”
Psalms 91:1-16 NLT
Who among us has not read Psalm 91 or even committed it to memory? It’s a psalm most have posted everywhere in their home or offices. It’s the go to psalm when seeking the Lord’s promised protection. But the psalm in and of itself has no magic power to deliver the things promised, it requires believing faith put into action. The Word of God is powerful only when activated by someone who truly believes it.
Jesus always said these words whenever believing faith pulled virtue from Him. “Go in peace, your faith has made you whole.” Psalm 91 is an arsenal of promises and personal responsibility. It’s a back and forth of “if you.... I will” the results are contingent upon our confident unwavering faith in God’s ability to deliver. I’ve told you on more than one occasion that God has allowed me to experience His Word at work in my life. This Psalm became a reality for me 30 years ago. I did what the psalm said and commanded the angel to encamp about me in a very scary situation and he showed up and stood guard at my front door. I wasn’t dreaming I was wide awake. I don’t want to take up too much time to go into details, but wanted to assure you that this Psalm is true if you believe it.
We tend to rattle off scripture verses like poetry. But the Word of God is ALIVE! It’s not just cute words we read but it’s active as our God is active. He is the Word that became flesh John 1. Work the Word, put it to the test. It, rather He, will prove Himself faithful every time. Let’s unpack the psalm.
It begins by identifying those who will benefit from the promises. Dwellers. Those who have taken up residence in the secret place, the intimate place of the Most High God. Dwellers who know, love and trust their Father. He said these dwellers would find safety and rest under or in the shadow of the Almighty. Think about that. His shadow protects you! Just being near Him is enough protection from any danger. But there’s more. The writer reflects on his own experience and then invites us to participate. It’s a beautiful song.
In verse two he makes his declaration. I will say of the Lord, “He alone is my refuge, my place of safety, He’s my God and I trust Him.” It’s obvious that he has personal knowledge of his God. This was not a casual relationship. Can you feel his passion? Dwellers know this truth. Abiders live this truth. It is the reality of our lives. Amen? But he doesn’t stop there, he invites us to share in his discovery.
Let’s continue in verse three. For He Will! Go back and read how many times see that emphatic promise. Read them aloud. He will; rescue, protect, cover and shelter you. He’s your armor and protection. Do not be afraid or terrified by what’s going on around you. Why? Because they can’t touch or come near the protective Shadow of our God. But we still have a role to play in all of this. Verse nine begins with. IF You Make the Lord your refuge, if you make Him your shelter. It’s not automatic. Listen, if I prepare a banquet feast for you, invite you and you don’t show up, is your hunger my fault or yours? All these promises are ours. We just need to respond in faith.
Keep reading. You’ll see that it’s not all on God. His promises are set in granite, they are yes and amen in Christ. We must be willing participants. Notice the words I’ve underlined. They’re promises predicated upon our faith filled response. Will you say to a listening world as this psalmist did, who God is to you? And then lead them on a discovery of the benefits of believing faith. Will you let the words of this psalm become your reality? Angels do show up. His shadow does protect. He watches over and keeps every promise. He’s just waiting on us to believe Him. Faith moves Him on our behalf. Take Him at His Word.
Still He does all the heavy lifting. Our part is the simplest of all. Dwell, abide, rest and trust. Won’t you accept the invitation to make Him your all? We’ve got everything to gain.
Father in heaven, how blessed and fortunate we are to have been invited to be dwellers in Your secret place. What precious promises awaits us. The riches of Your grace on full display. We’ll see but not be harmed by the destruction around us. The storms and pestilences cannot come near us as we abide like Jesus taught us. Grant us by Your Spirit, a desire for nearness. A hunger for abiding and the satisfaction of experiencing all that You are in Jesus Name. Amen
Dwellers abide and linger, they’re never in a hurry in the secret place...WT
Written by permission of the Holy Spirit
W. Tennant