The Safety Psalm
Psalm 91:1-7 NASB
1 One who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
Will lodge in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress,
My God, in whom I trust!”
3 For it is He who rescues you from the net of the trapper
And from the deadly plague.
4 He will cover you with His pinions,
And under His wings you may take refuge;
His faithfulness is a shield and wall.
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.
This psalm is one of the classics. Right behind the twenty-third psalm in terms of people knowing and quoting the powerful verses found here.
Right from the start, this psalm is talking about the refuge and protection found with God. I remember in Bible school, this psalm was often memorized and spoken. I particularly like how the NASB version phrases verse two. “I will say to the Lord my refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust.” What a great thing to say to the Lord and about the Lord. We often refer to the Lord, the Father, and the Spirit. But here the psalmist is calling the Lord his refuge and fortress, my God in whom I trust. To me, this sounds like a great way to start a prayer. My Father, my refuge and fortress, my God, I trust in you. Words matter and the words we speak about God matter even more.
This entire psalm is worth reading on a regular basis. Satan even quoted verses eleven and twelve to Jesus when he was tempting Jesus to jump from the highest tower on the temple. Jesus didn’t refute the validity of the angelic protection but did tell Satan that tempting God was not going to happen.
The metaphor of a hen protecting her chicks under her wings is used. And then the psalmist declares that God will be a shield and protection to us to the point where we are not afraid of disaster at night or terror during the day. God’s protection extends to the place where thousands are falling around us, but it’s not happening to us. If you are dealing with fear, especially the fear of being hurt, this is a great psalm of comfort.
The last two verses are worth quoting here as they are powerful promises we can lay hold of in this life. God is speaking when He declares, “He will call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him. With a long life, I will satisfy him and let him see My salvation.” Ps 91:15-16 NASB
These promises are available to the one who loves God and knows His nature and authority. And what great promises. We can call on God, and He will answer. He will be with us in trouble and rescue us. And He will satisfy us with a long life and allow us to see His salvation!
I don’t know if they are still there; the advent of cell phones changed things. But there used to be glass boxes with hatchets or emergency pulls located inside the boxes on the wall in public buildings. The sign on the outside said, “Break Glass In Case Of Emergency.” That would be a good precursor to Psalm 91. But allow me to change that up. How about “Read First Before Emergency”? Speak God’s protection over your life and family before problems break out. This is a psalm that builds confidence in God’s ability to help, protect and deliver.
Prayer
You are my God, my refuge, and my strong fort. You are my God and I trust in You. Thank You for Your protection and help!