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 armour 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.”
Devotional comment from Lesley Beare
“Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty”
As I grow as a disciple of Jesus and spend more time reading the Bible, I am continuously amazed by the depth of His Word. I love how I read passages of Scripture that I have read many times before, and yet each time He can teach me something different from it and reveal more of who He is. It is so comforting to know that our Heavenly Father knows what is going on in our lives and reveals what we need to hear Him saying to us at just the right moment.
I love Psalm 91. Recently, as I have been reading it, I can’t seem to get past verse 1 and so I want to share what God has been speaking to me about, in this verse.
If you were in danger or needing to find shelter from a storm etc. you would instinctively know where to go to find protection and to stay safe. But what if I were to ask you where you could find protection when you were feeling a certain type of emotion eg. fear? Is it even possible to find shelter when we feel overwhelmed and frozen with anxiety or fear?
This psalm is known as a Psalm of Protection and it tells us we can find that shelter we need when we live in relationship with God and put our trust in Him, our Most High!
This verse promises that for those who live in relationship with God, they will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. Rest. In this busy, fast paced world that we find ourselves in it is so difficult to rest and be still. We need rest to be restored physically, but also to recharge mentally and emotionally. Rest is crucial for our well-being and God knows that. He showed us the pattern of rest when He created the world and rested on the seventh day. So we need to follow His example and take time to rest, be still, and recover our strength. And what better place to find rest than in the shadow of the Almighty, the Sovereign God who loves and delights in you?
In this one verse alone the Psalmist refers to God as the Most High and the Almighty. Take some time to read further down the Psalm and underline other words He uses to refer to God. This Psalmist has full knowledge and confidence in knowing who His God is. Can you say the same? It is only when you fully know who He is that you will have the confidence to know you will be safe in His shadow. In fact, there is nowhere else you will want to be.
To walk in someone’s shadow, you have to stay close to them. This promise of rest is for those then who stay close to Him. How do we do that? It involves spending time in His presence worshipping, praying, reading His Word. Cultivating a relationship with Him. It will be from this place you will find true rest that will strengthen you and equip you to be an effective disciple of Jesus.
There is so much more to this psalm and I would encourage you to read through it slowly and think what you can learn from it. What are the promises? What are the words used to describe God? Write them down and the next time you feel overwhelmed and needing shelter, rest, protection, pray aloud these promises, declare like the Psalmist did who God is and what He promises. Hold fast and have confidence in the Almighty and the truth that He is a promise keeper and He will give you protection.
Lesley lives in the metropolis of Tandragee with her husband Wilson and two boys Caleb (10) and Jude (5). As well as spending time with her family, her other joy is learning and laughing alongside her friends and church family in Emmanuel Portadown. She is the Programme Officer for Girls’ Brigade Northern Ireland where she is passionate about resourcing and equipping the leaders to disciple their girls to Seek, Serve and Follow Christ.