Read: Psalm 91
Key Verse: Psalm 91:4 (NLT)
He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises areyour armor and protection.
Reflection
Some think that Moses wrote this psalm, though we can’t be sure. Whoever it was, they had a faith in God as their protector Who would carry them through all the dangers and fears that they faced. It’s a picture of trust that we should aspire to have also!
This psalm paints a comforting and sustaining portrait of God as a shelter, or even as a place of hiding. Remember how God hid Moses in the cleft of a rock and covered him with His hand as His Glory passed by (Exodus 33:22)? The psalm speaks of that kind of protection. In verse 4 we read that God will shelter us with His wings, and this is a similar picture to the one Jesus painted in Luke 13:34 when He described salvation as being like a hen gathering her chicks under her wings.
When the storms of life are raging all around us, and we are tired and weary of fighting seemingly relentless battles, God offers us a safe haven to retreat to – but it is a choice that we have to make, not something that automatically happens. The first word of the psalm is “those”, meaning that living in the shelter of the Most High is something we must choose to do. God can only protect us if we flee to Him for refuge.
Verse 4 also reminds us of the source of our armour and protection – God’s faithful promises. The Hebrew implies that God’s faithfulness is something that completely surrounds us. It doesn’t mean that the storms won’t happen, but it does mean that we can find shelter and protection in them.
The Bottom Line
When we flee to the shelter that God provides, He will protect us from everything that is going on around us. That doesn’t mean that we won’t face difficult circumstances, but that we will be protected from Satan’s evil schemes when we seek refuge in God. Nothing can separate us from God (Romans 8:38-39).
Ponder Points
- Spend some time thinking about what it looks like to flee to God for help and protection. Remember that it is a choice you have to make. Is it an easy choice to make? Do you find it difficult to believe that God can protect you as this psalm describes? If so, why?
- The words used to describe God in this psalm are meant to encourage us to trust Him. He is the Most High, the Almighty, Lord and God. What pictures of God do these words paint for you? Do they make it easier for you to trust Him?
- Verse 4 notes that God’s faithful promises are your armour and protection. What promise do you need to claim today as your protection and shield?
Prayer Pointers
Let your heartfelt prayer today be that God will help you to be able to flee into His protection and find rest there. Thank Him that He provides us with not just shelter but the shield of faith to protect us from the storms raging around us.