Psalm 91:1-16 NIV
Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.”
Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare
and from the deadly pestilence.
He will cover you with his feathers,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
You will not fear the terror of night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,
nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
nor the plague that destroys at midday.
A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.
You will only observe with your eyes
and see the punishment of the wicked.
If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,”
and you make the Most High your dwelling,
no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent.
For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways;
they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
You will tread on the lion and the cobra;
you will trample the great lion and the serpent.
“Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “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 long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.”
When I visited Israel on an educational trip, our group went to Masada. This mountain fortress was built during the rulership of Herod the Great. It was an outpost watch for Israel's southeast borders along the Dead Sea.
In 71 AD this was the site of the last of the Jewish resistance to Roman domination. The Romans destroyed the temple. The rubble of the destruction is still visible today in Jerusalem, after archaeological excavation. At Masada the Romans held siege against the fortress for nearly two years. They used slave labor to build an earthen ramp up the side of the steep mountain slopes. Once completed they used a battering ram fixed on a wheeled tower to break through the fortress walls. Armed for battle the Romans poured through the breach only to find over 700 dead Jews, a mass suicide. Women, children, men, young and old, lie dead by their own hands.
This site is now the place where 18-19 year old Israeli soldiers pledge their oaths to God and their people, the nation of Israel. My educational tour group was told that part of the military ceremony included the reciting of psalm 91.
Psalm 91:7 NIV
A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.
What a comfort that ceremony must be for young men training for war. They may likely face violence in their time of national service. What a comfort to make vows to God to take Him as one's refuge, trusting in His protection.
Psalm 91 opens with a promise. If you dwell in the shelter of God you will rest in the shade of God's presence. Resting in the shade on a hot day is a wonderful break from the heat of the sun. Life sometimes brings on the heat, if you know what I mean. If you make God your dwelling place then you will find relief. God's faithfulness will be your shield and you will not fear.
I trust God, but I find fears and anxieties still bring on the heat. I am learning that making God my dwelling place is much more difficult than simply saying I trust in His protection and His will. My brain still tries to work out ways to fight, flee or freeze. The brain stores and issues fear signals as an early warning system for our protection. I suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder so all my rational thoughts that choose faith are sometimes overwhelmed by a rush of fear chemicals sent by a brain that is betraying me. The childhood threats are no longer a threat, but my fear center is not responding to rational thought. So the chemicals keep pumping, pushing me to lash out in battle, or to flee to safety, or to sit motionless hoping the danger will pass by, not noticing me as potential prey. To dwell in the Most High takes continual practice like learning to play piano. Only disciplined habits will change this tug of war on my brain and body.
Reading Psalm 91, and others like it, reinforces my faith that God will protect and provide. Even if my life were truly threatened even then I can trust in the promise that my Lord will not let me decay in the grave but will resurrect me into eternal dwellings.
You might notice that the devil quoted this psalm to Jesus while tempting Him to throw Himself down from the pinnacle of the temple.
Psalm 91:11-12 NIV
For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
Jesus responded that the scriptures also say that you shall not put the Lord your God to the test. So don't live carelessly, but choose wisely. Don't throw yourself off of cliffs because you believe God will catch you. Don't rush into conflict because you trust God is on your side. Instead when conflict is inescapable do not fear. Dwell in God as God dwells in you. Allow that peace that passes all understanding fill you. Seek the shade of God's presence. Those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength. (Isaiah 40:31)
Take courage in the promise of your God and mine and let fear and anxiety give way to faith and peace.
“Because he loves me,” says the Lord , “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name." (Psalm 91:14)
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