He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler. Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee. Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked. Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation; There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone. Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.
Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him. With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation. Psalms 91:1-16
Psalms 91 is a Psalm most noted for being a Psalm of protection. Many a soldier goes off to war, even today, with this Psalm on the lips of those he knows who have promised to pray for him. The soldiers themselves who know the Bible will recite it and pray it for themselves and their comrades. My oldest son was one of those who had committed this Psalm to his heart when he was 5 years old and was thankful for the promise of God and the prayers of us who not only prayed this Psalm for him daily--but really believed that God would protect him. And He did!
My son has many testimonies today of God's saving grace in wartime. Against the wise advice of his mother, he was not always able to stay in his M1 tank. There were 3 day missions where they hid in the bushes waiting for snipers to set up near them to attack the passing convoys. There were the never ending roadside checkpoints where suicide bombers and various stressed and crazy people do dangerous things. Even their camp had incessant barrages of RPGs as they walked from barracks to mess and dove under the tanks for protection when they heard that familiar whistling sound of an incoming RPG.
We know of a young man here in Jerusalem who is in the IDF reserves and served in the Lebanon war, in July 2006. This young man is a believer and was on the front lines. The battle was so intense at times that he was known to be shouting Psalm 91--in the midst of firefights. His testimony to his fellow soldiers, as well as to us, was he trusted God for deliverance. He was also heard shouting, praying in tongues, as he fought with his troop for their lives. Once they took refuge in a house which was then attacked with anti-tank missiles. If you recall the destruction they cause you will know that God spared them--as the building remained intact and they were safe inside. Another time this young man found himself face to face with a grenade launcher pointed at him, not 3 feet away. There was a white blast and the attacker disappeared--God's grace left this young man unharmed.
Psalms 91 was the first scripture our family memorized together. Our faith took us through difficult times with growing faith in God's promise of protection and grace for whatever circumstances we found ourselves in. We lived this Psalm, we believed this Psalm, and all the rest of the Bible, as we grew in the Lord.
I would like to point out to you the last few verses of this Psalm where the wording changes from a prayer of protection to an answer to the prayer. God Himself answers this heart cry of His servant. The psalmist's cry is a cry of faith. He has seen God's hand move on his behalf and he expects that the Lord will be faithful to do it again and again--not only for himself, but for all those who put their trust in the Lord. It is not so much the words that he uses, he is only recalling to God the Father what He has already done and promised. This man knows the value of dwelling in that secret place in God. It is his unwavering faith, his confidence in the Lord, that God calls setting his love upon me--which moves God's heart to answer so tenderly. Can you just picture Father God looking down toward his beloved--a man who was not perfect, yet his heart responds completely toward God on every occasion of chastisement and correction, trials and attacks.
This love the Father has toward us whom He has created, is that same love that brought His Son, Jesus, to this earth to die for our sins--that we might be forever reconciled to God. When we respond to God with the kind of absolute love and trust that reflects His Love, it touches his heart. Just as when a toddler steps into Daddy's shoes and tries to imitate his father, God is moved by our admiration. His love is stirred and He responds with the promise to always respond. God not only will send his angels, but He Himself will respond to our need. We have God's attention, we have been given the gift of His favor and blessing. He only desires our loving, trust which results in absolute obedience and a burning desire to please Him. As we dwell in this place of trust in Him, we abide in His shadow of protection and blessing. Nothing can harm us, no weapon formed against us can prosper. Hallelujah!
Copyright © 2007 by Ruth Mayfield All rights reserved. These articles may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, by including this notice.
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