Reflections on Psalm 91

I love the Psalms. They show me how to talk to God and how to worship him. They show God’s mercy and grace. Things the Psalmists, (inspired by the Holy Spirit,) wrote are relatable to things I go through in my walk with God. The Psalms help me understand God’s covenant relationship with his people. They are poetic and are songs and prayers.  Today I would like to look at Psalm 91.

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.”
For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler
and from the deadly pestilence.
He will cover you with his pinions,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.
You will not fear the terror of the night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,
nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness,
nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.
A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.
You will only look with your eyes
and see the recompense of the wicked.
Because you have made the Lord your dwelling place—
the Most High, who is my refuge—
no evil shall be allowed to befall you,
no plague come near your tent.
For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways.
On their hands they will bear you up,
lest you strike your foot against a stone.
You will tread on the lion and the adder;
the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot.
“Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him;
I will protect him, because he knows my name.
When he calls to me, I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble;
I will rescue him and honor him.
With long life I will satisfy him
and show him my salvation.”
Psalm 91:1-16

I remember the first time Psalm 91 really stood out to me. I was in a new environment and was terrified and overwhelmed. A kind lady noticed my fear and wrote down “Psalm 91” on a piece of paper. When I got home, I was excited to look up this Psalm she had left a reference for. When I read it I realized how foolish my fear was.

Recently, God used a friend to point out this Psalm to me again. She shared some verses of the Psalm on Facebook. I then read the Psalm in my devotions last week. It reminds me of God’s sovereignty in all providences and his covenant care of his people. Oh how my soul needs to be reminded again and again of God’s grace toward me. Who or what shall I fear when God is on my side?

Fear occurs when we look at providences outside of our control instead of looking to the One that controls all things. I am all too familiar with fear in my own life. I can look at my circumstances and despair as I try to figure things out until I realize my foolishness and go before the throne of grace. It can be difficult to bring our troubles to the Lord, but this is exactly what we must do. Satan would have us dwell upon our problems and forget the hope we have in God. God beckons us to himself and covers us with his wings. In his hymn, What a Friend We Have in Jesus, Joseph M. Scriven wrote: “O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear, All because we do not carry, Everything to God in prayer” How true I have found this to be.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7

When I read verses 11-12 of Psalm 91, I thought of God’s care over me in some recent car troubles. More importantly God’s cares for the souls of his people, bringing them to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, sanctifying them, and enabling them to persevere to the end. We can have confidence that he who began a good work in us will complete it (Philippians 1:6.)

For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways.
On their hands they will bear you up,
lest you strike your foot against a stone.
Psalm 91:11-12

Although God is not the author of evil, sometimes evil falls upon his children at the hands of other sinners. God uses what others mean for evil toward us for good. Joseph is a good example of this (Genesis 37-50.) Joseph’s brothers sold him to Ishmaelites and Joseph was taken to Egypt. God preserved Joseph and used him in Egypt. Joseph held great political power and served under Pharaoh. He was used by God during a time of severe famine in Egypt. Eventually Joseph’s brothers came to Egypt for food and were thus reconciled to Jacob. In Genesis 50:20 Jacob said to his brothers: “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.”

We also suffer difficulties such as sickness or tragedies like a fire or car accident; we live in a fallen world which will one day pass away. Furthermore, we suffer temptations and accusations from Satan but God makes a way of escape and will not let us be tempted beyond what we can bear (1 Corinthians 10:13.) God allows us to suffer at the hands of other sinners. He allows us to suffer harassment from Satan (2 Corinthians 12:7.) And he allows suffering from living in a fallen world. God is sovereign and all suffering we endure is used for our good.

Sometimes Christians suffer specifically because of their faith. The Lord tells us to expect this in John 15:20-21: “Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me.” God himself suffered at the hands of sinners. Throughout his ministry on earth, Jesus was mocked, tempted, and blasphemed. Then, at the hands of sinners he was put to death. Our sins put him to death. Yet his death was not out of his control. He willingly bore our sins in his body and nailed our trespasses to the cross (1 Peter 2:24, Colossians 2:14.)

God’s hand of protection is always over his people. Even if providences are difficult, they are not outside of God’s control. Our foot will not strike against a stone, unless God allows it for our good. Psalm 91 reminds me of Romans 8. Romans 8 is one of my favorite passages. The passage tells of God’s love toward us in Christ and helps us understand our identity in him. It also shows us how the LORD, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, works in the life of believers. Christ died for us, the Father adopted us, and the Holy Spirit indwells us and leads us in our walk with Christ. I have included two verses from Romans 8 below.

 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Romans 8:31

I am currently reading a book by Ed Welsh which discusses the fear of man. In the book, When People are Big and God is Small, Ed Welsh comments on Hosea 11:8-9.

How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I hand you over, Israel? How can I treat you like Admah? How can I make you like Zeboyim? My heart is changed within me; all my compassion is aroused. I will not carry out my fierce anger, nor will I devastate Ephraim again. For I am God, and not a man- the Holy One among you. I will not come against their cities. Hosea 11:8-9

Now notice the word “changed.” It is the word God uses to describe his own heart, “My heart is changed within me.” This word is rarely used in the Bible as a description of someone’s emotional experience. Instead, it is often used to describe the overthrow of and destruction of a city. As such, when used to describe emotional experiences, it connotes something gut-wrenching. God is saying that his insides are in turmoil on behalf of his people. This is not so much God’s talking about the pain of betrayal as it is God’s revealing his intense compassion for his people. It reveals the depth of his desire to bring his people back to himself. When People are Big and God is Small (page 176)

Two passages came to my mind as I considered God’s gut wrenching love. I thought of Jesus as he prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane shortly before he was crucified. He was in great agony knowing what he was about to go through but because of his great love for his brethren and his love and submission to his Father, he did what he came to earth to do. He died. He died for the sins of his people and then rose again conquering death.

And he withdrew from them about a stone's throw, and knelt down and prayed, saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him. And being in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground. Luke 22:41-44

I also thought of Romans 8:26: “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.” Groanings too deep for words- who can understand the depths of God’s compassion toward us?

The whole Bible points to Christ. We see the gospel in Psalm 91. Verses 14-16 in particular point to Christ’s atonement for the sins of his people.

“Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him;
I will protect him, because he knows my name.
When he calls to me, I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble;

I will rescue him and honor him.
With long life I will satisfy him
and show him my salvation.”
Psalm 91:14-16

 In 1 John 4:19, we see that we (believers) love God because he first loved us. We can only begin to comprehend how much the Lord loves us. God loves us so much he died for our sins and rose again conquering death. He will shield and protect us all our days and will restore us when we wander. He called our names awakening us from death, and gave us eternal life through Christ. We know his name because the Holy Spirit made his name known to us. When we pray to our Father he answers us because he has made a covenant with us. There are many verses in the Bible which speak of God’s covenant with his people. He is our God and we are his people. The last three lines of this Psalm make me think of Isaiah 64:10. Oh the unsearchable riches that ours in Christ Jesus!

I will greatly rejoice in the LORD; my soul shall exult in my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation; he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. Isaiah 64:10

Backtracking a bit, we see that verses 7 and 8 show a stark contrast between those in Christ, and unbelievers.

A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.

You will only look with your eyes
and see the recompense of the wicked.
Psalm 91:7-8

Those in Christ are sheltered by God Almighty and have been given eternal life. These verses warn that unbelievers will one day perish unless they come to faith in Christ. All believers were once unbelievers and God will offer forgiveness to all who call upon him. By God’s grace we hear his call and come to him begging for mercy trusting in Christ’s sacrifice for our sins upon the cross.

For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost. Luke 19:10

(Christ, the Son of God, is also the Son of Man. Jesus is fully God and fully man)