The State Of The Godly
Covered by the blood of Christ, the redeemed ones take refuge in God alone. There is no defense more secure than being in Christ. Whatever suffering we may face here on earth, were reminded that Jesus has overcome this world and that He promises us eternity where suffering is no more. The Holy Spirit reminds us of this truth and gives us the comfort that we need.
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Knowing this God is our comfort. Psalm 91 describes Him as our shelter, shadow, refuge, fortress, refuge, shield, buckler, dwelling, rescuer, and protection.
1. Shelter : God is our hiding place, covering us with His good purposes.
2. Shadow : God is over and beyond usseeing more than we see and knowing more than we know. We can rest in His shadow.
3. Refuge : He is a safe place for us of security we climb into Him.
4. Fortress : He is our defense whose promises cannot be inhibited.
5. Shield : Resting in our God deflects the enemies of fear and doubt in times of trial.
6. Buckler : He is a defense on every side. He knows every part of us and our livesno aspect is beyond His reach.
7. Dwelling : Gods protection is not fleeting His protection serves for our continual habitation.
8. Rescuer : He leads us off with Him, drawing us to Himself and rescuing us from being overcome by the world.
9. Protection : In His protection, He carries us to an elevated placeby trusting in Him, our minds and hearts become inaccessible to the churning fears below.
How To Pray Psalm 91 As A Prayer Of Protection
As you read through and pray Psalm 91 as a prayer of protection over yourself and your family, keep these things in mind.
- Read Psalm 91 daily
- Memorize Psalm 91
- Personalize Psalm 91 by inserting your name or your family members names within various portions of the Scripture
- Hang Psalm 91 in your home or in a place where you will see it often
- Continue to trust the Lord each day!
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Will God Protect Us From Pestilence
Psalm 91 was used by Satan to tempt Jesus in the desert . The Devil said that surely Jesus could place Himself in the way of harm in order to demonstrate the rescuing power of God. But Satan misused Gods Word, removing it from the context of the whole and unity of Scripture. Jesus, honoring Scripture, responded that God is not to be put to the test. Careless behavior is not condoned by Godand neither is misuse of Scripture.
Learning from Jesus, then, we also must handle Scripture well in our times. That God is our refuge, comfort, and shade amidst pandemic does not mean that if we believe in Jesus Christ we have physical immunity to COVID-19all credible commentators agree.
However, verses in this Psalm do appear to promise present, bodily deliverance from pestilence. The word pestilence means any sudden fatal epidemic or pandemic, and in its Biblical use it generally indicates that these are divine visitations. The word is most frequently used in the prophetic books. Consider, for example, verses 3 and 6: For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence and You will not fear . . . the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor the destruction that wastes at noonday. How do we faithfully interpret those statements?
Israelite Context
Consider Exodus 19:4-6a, which contains similar imagery to Psalm 91 of Gods protective wing:
Other Interpretive Considerations
What Is Gods Deliverance?
The Friend Of The Godly
Before having Christ, we are all enemies of God. When we are saved by the free grace of Jesus, we are now friends with God. Having God as our true friend, we now have someone who protects us from troubles. He rescues us from evil. Now we can truly honor Him, the only one who can satisfy our hearts. Now we can enjoy Him for eternity.
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How Can We ‘rest In The Shadow Of The Almighty’
Jesus gives us words in Luke 21 that are parallel in theme to Psalm 91. Hearing them and receiving them into our spirits, we can receive the security that Psalm 91 promises to rest in our Almighty God.
In Luke 21, Jesus is speaking about the signs of the end of times. In verse 10, He speaks of warsof nation rising against nation. In verse 11, He speaks of earthquake, famine, pestilence, terrors, and signs from heaven. In verses 12-17, He talks of persecution for Christians and times when we will be delivered over to authorities for death.
He concludes in verses 18-19: But not a hair of your head will perish. By your endurance you will gain your lives.
Think about this: Jesus says that in dying, not a hair on our heads will perish.
We who believe are spiritually secure through Christnever to face judgment. We are eternally secureheaded to the place of no suffering or pain. We are presently secure in purposeno event of the world can surprise, overwhelm, or demote us from fulfilling Gods good works for us here. And, by Jesus words, we are to consider ourselves miraculously secure when meeting the eruptive trials of this life.
Psalm 91’s Promises From God
- “I will rescue him…”
- “I will protect him…”
- “I will answer him…”
- “I will be with him in trouble…”
- “I will deliver him…”
- “and honor him…”
- “With long life will I satisfy him…”
- “and show him my salvation.”
There is great blessing as we seek after God, and choose to walk in His ways. In the midst of great darkness in this world, living in it all without His Truth and freedom, would be like wallowing in the pit. Not much hope to be found there. The truth is, this world has been dark for generations, since sin first entered the earth at the hiss of the enemy’s lies.
Yet God’s reminders are sure, strong, and true, assuring us that in all that we walk through in this journey, His call is always to rise above. He reminds us we’re not alone. And though He never says that we won’t face hard times, He does say He’ll be with us in it, rescuing us, and shining His favor over us.
Dont ever doubt it. God works on behalf of those who love Him and honor His name. He is so good to us. We may never fully know, this side of heaven, how very much He has sheltered us from in this life.
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Lesson No 1: Know God
Psalm 91:14 continues:
I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.
God wants to develop a personal relationship with us. How can we do that if we dont even know Gods name?
Another implication of this verse is that we must know His name, His true character, ability, and desires.
When we know God by reading His word and meditating upon the lessons we learn, then we are more likely to make better choices in life. God can then have a better way of protecting us from all forms of evil.
God Doesnt Promise A Danger
There is no place in the Bible where we are told that our earthly life will be storm-free. The false belief no more dangers are lurking around believers is foolish and utterly dangerous. It leads to an unwise and reckless life.
There are many reasons why we still face dangers and experience suffering.
- It is a fallen world. The ruler of this fallen world is the evil one . We know he only comes to steal, kill and destroy , not only the physical things in this world but more so the spiritual treasures, especially that of believers. The enemy puts danger out there to dishearten us so we lose our hope in God.
- We are heirs in Christ. The Bible says that as children of God, we share in the suffering of Christ. But we share not only His suffering but also His coming glory .
- It is for our sanctification. If there were no dangers and suffering in this world, can we honestly say that we will still seek the Lord? It is an unfortunate truth that we tend to wander away from the Lord when we are comfortable. We are not made for this world, we are citizens of heaven . God desires for us to be sanctified, to be rid of our attachments to this world which is not our eternal home.
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Lesson No 1: We Need To Pray To God
Psalm 91:15 tells us:
He shall call upon me, and I will answer him.
While God is more than willing to protect us, we still need to ask for His help through prayer. It doesnt mean that God is powerless unless we ask for His protection, but Gods ultimate purpose in protecting us is to build a loving and close relationship with Him.
When we make God our refuge and our dwelling place, we can always call upon Him. Since we have already fostered an intimate relationship with God, we can always call upon His name and He will then answer us.
Does Psalm 91 Belong To Me
There was a time in my life when I prayed Psalm 91 over myself and over my family every morning as part of my devotional routine. I remember vividly driving back from a lakeside prayer meeting at 5:30 a.m. reciting the words:
You will not be afraid of the terror by night, Or of the arrow that flies by day Of the pestilence that stalks in darkness, Or of the destruction that lays waste at noon. A thousand may fall at your side And ten thousand at your right hand, But it shall not approach you. You will only look on with your eyes And see the recompense of the wicked.
Even as I prayed that prayer in my still frozen car, I would wonder somewhere in the back of my brain whether this prayer really belonged to me as a Christian. According to the LXX the Psalm was written by King David David was the Lords Anointed. David was the Old Testament anticipation of Jesus Christ. Like an arrow shot at the sun, David points us to Jesus while ultimately falling short. This Psalm was for David and ultimately this Psalm was for Davids greater Son Jesus Christ.
Even the devil understood the unique application of this Psalm to Jesus. In the desert when the Lord was tired and hungry the devil came to him with this Psalm upon his lips. He said: If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, He will command his angels concerning you, and On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.
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Psalm Ninety One Verse 11 And 1: For He Will Charge His Angels To Protect You To Keep You In All The Ways They Will Take You By The Hand Lest You Stumble Upon The Stones
Interpretation: In this verse we understand how God will protect us and save us from all evils. Through his messengers – the angels. It is they who guide us. Who give us impulses of inspiration. Bring us spontaneous ideas that come to mind. Give us warnings that make us alert. Nudge us to think twice before acting. Push us away from people and places that can bring us the evil. Protect us from all danger. Angels follow divine guidelines to advise, protect, give answers, and suggest ways.
What Is Psalm 91 In The Bible
Psalm 91 is the 91st psalm of the Book of Psalms , generally known in English by its first verse in the King James Version: He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.. In the Greek Septuagint version of the Bible, and in its Latin translation Vulgate ,
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Lesson No : God Brings Comfort
Can you imagine having the greatest and highest Authority there is on earth backing you up? Can you imagine that God, the supreme and most powerful Being in the universe is your personal bodyguard?
With this thought, there is a tremendous comfort that we can all enjoy. Knowing that God protects you in your going in and going out, you cant help but just be filled with gladness and comfort.
Praying Psalm 91 Teaches Us To Not Be Afraid
We face very real dangers in our world today. As we go about our daily lives, we needed to use wisdom and discretion. When we drive, we put on our seat belts. During Covid-19, we maintain six feet distancing and wash our hands. We take basic precautions to remain healthy and safe, and we trust God with the rest. We dont have to live in a constant state of terror or dread.
David in Psalm 23 verse 4 said it powerfully,
even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
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Psalm Ninety One Verse 15 And 16 Purpose: When He Calls On Me I Will Answer Him I Will Be With Him In The Hour Of Trouble Im Going To Set You Free And Honor You I Will Give You The Satisfaction Of Having A Long Life And I Will Show My Salvation
Interpretation: At the end of the verse God reinforces our commitment to us. Assures us that he will be with us in all the situations. And with his infinite kindness and intelligence will give us the answers we need to follow the path of goodness. God assures us that to make him our refuge and habitation.
The Psalms are a Poetry in Prose to express the ideas of the divine concepts. So, they are not subject, like the verse, to a certain measure and cadence.
The Psalms are messages that God sent to Moses, who instituted them as an oral tradition, that later became established on paper by King David. The main characteristic of the Psalms is that they are songs of praise, of glorification, because they do not contain wishes or requests.
An important fact is that Psalm 91 is known as the Psalm of the Military soldier or the prayer of the Military soldier, because this psalm is printed on camouflage handkerchiefs.
Who Wrote Psalm 91
It is not clear who wrote Psalm 91. However, there are mentions of plagues like the ones that happened in the times of Moses. Some people say Moses wrote this Psalm when he was still in the desert. David probably compiled what Moses wrote. What is more important than finding out who the author of Psalm 91 is us knowing who is the better David and the better Moses who authored our lives. He is none other than Christ, our refuge and our fortress.
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A Prayer From Psalm 91
“Dear God, Thank you for your presence with us, thank you for your Almighty Shadow. Thank you that you go before us, and cover us from behind. Thank you that you are in our midst, and that our future is secure in the place you’re preparing for us.
Your words bring such hope and comfort. Remind us of your strength today, may we see glimpses of your glory and blessing along the way as we seek after you. For victory and salvation are found in you alone.
In the Mighty Name of Jesus, Amen.”
What Does Psalm : 11
Psalm 91:11-12 is the Lord’s promise that Angels are guarding and protecting us, God’s children. And we believe and have faith that God’s angels are guarding us. God commands the angels to guard us in all our ways. And he keeps us safe no matter how great the danger.
Here is a beautiful reminder of the words of Psalm 91:11. Remember that surely He will save you and command His angels concerning you and your long life. You can view our Psalm 91 Wall Art collection.
Psalm 91:11-12 NIV says, 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.
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This Book Reveals To Us Secrets Abound In Psalm 91
The secrets include, secret of warfare to be a champion, secret to make wealth, secret to pull down works of darkness, secret of joy and laughter, secret to protection and secret to assuring ways to be in the Lord. There is great blessing as we seek after God and chose to walk in his ways.
This book tells us, Gods promise is sure, strong and true, assuring us that in all we walk through, he is there for us. He reminds us we are not alone, even in the midst of problems or challenge, he will not let us alone.
As a psalm of protection, it is commonly invoked in times of hardship when life is draining and there seems to be no time or place to rest. This book of Psalm is reassuring, comforting and encouraging. When things appear to be their worst and our natural tendency is getting down and miss out on what God may be doing in our situation.
When you read and digest this book, heaven shall open and locate you. Angels of God shall make it a duty to guide and guard you without limitation. Impossibility in your life shall disappear by fire, in the name of Jesus. While you jubilate, powers of darkness shall see the book as fire and terrible weapon in their kingdom. Hence, they shall surrender.
After digesting this book:
Good luck, my brethren