Psalm 91 is a prayer of hope in God. It expresses the comfort we have in knowing that God protects those who believe in Him. It is a prayer that gives hope.
The Psalm of protection
People love reading God’s promise of deliverance and refuge in Psalm 91. This Psalm gives hope.
The trials of life can be overwhelming, and despair can creep into our attitudes when we feel out of control and unprotected. The events of the day, disease, aging, and chaos in the news remind us that suffering and death are a part of life, and there is nothing we can do to stop it.
Some suffer from the anticipation of suffering. They live in anxiety and fear. Are you suffering from fear and worries? You need the comforting promises of Psalm 91 that come from God.
The verses in this Psalm reveal the promises and assurances for safety and protection of everyone who believes in God and His Son, Jesus Christ. There is comfort in His words, but most importantly in His presence.
Read the following thoughts and prayerfully talk to God about your fears and worries, leave them in His hands, and rest in His secret place.
God protects
“He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.” – Psalm 91:1
What makes God’s place secret? He proclaims His promise and invites everyone to dwell in heaven with Him. He announces His secret place because He does not want it to be a secret. It is secret only to those who do not believe in Him, and it is secret because it is not visible in the world today. What or who is the secret place? Jesus says in John 15:4,
“Abide in me, and I in you….”
To abide in Christ is to dwell in the secret place of the most High. In Christ, you will be protected by His promise of an eternal dwelling where there is no evil or suffering.
God protects as a fortress
“I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.” – Psalm 91:2
When you believe in God and trust Him, you express and confess that He is the One you trust in. He is the place of safety and security for anyone who believes Him. He is our protector. He does not put us into a safe place. He is the safe place of protection from evil. Jesus says in John 3:15,
“That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.”
Trust in the work of Jesus, and you will find yourself in the refuge of God. If you reject Jesus,
“He that hateth me hateth my Father also.”- John 15:23
God protects by prevention
“Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.” – Psalm 91:3
What a relevant verse for the day in a culture that is filled with violence, disease, and hate. God is the protector of all those who believe in Him. He is the deliverer of those who believe in Him from this world of evil and suffering. He delivers from eternal condemnation. One day, the world and all evil will be destroyed, and a new heaven and earth will be established wherein dwells only righteousness. This is the deliverance believers look forward to. God makes it possible.
God protects by covering
“He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.” – Psalm 91:4
Can you think of a better place to be than under God’s protective arms? To be covered by Him is to be covered by His divinely guaranteed protection. In God we can trust and rest. No harm can come to those who believe in Him and who are under His protection. But we are born again spiritually, not physically. It is our soul and spirit that are delivered. Spiritually, we cannot be harmed. Having been redeemed spiritually, we are guaranteed redemption of our body. But Romans 8:23 says that we must wait for the redemption of our physical body. That day is coming, along with deliverance from all evil and suffering in the world. In the meantime, we have His truth to protect us while we live in a world of lies and deception. And in His truth, we have peace and hope for eternal joy in a sinless world without evil and suffering.
God protects from fear
“Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;” – Psalm 91:5
Do the events in this world make you afraid? Do news reports of disease and riots cause you to be fearful? You can find peace and comfort in God. The turmoil in the world today reminds us why we need God. This world is governed by Satan and evil. The blessings that exist are due to the presence of those who believe in God. But most reject God, and so evil and suffering prevail. For those who believe in God, there is peace in knowing that He is in control and any suffering for the present will come to an end. In Romans 8:18, the Apostle Paul writes,
“For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.”
Are you protected under God’s promise? Do you have an eternal future worth looking forward to?
God protects from destruction
“Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.” – Psalm 91:6
Trusting that God is in control and that He protects us casts out fear of being destroyed. Everyone who believes Him enjoys the peace and assurance that all will be well forever. Jesus says in Matthew 10:28,
“And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”
With God’s protection, no harm can come to us spiritually. Are you at peace in His promise?
God protects from death
“A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.” – Psalm 91:7
Did you know that most people will reject God? I can think of no greater tragedy. For all that God does to invite everyone and anyone to receive His promise, it is such a shame that so many will perish unnecessarily. Jesus says in Matthew 7:13-14,
“Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.”
You can avoid perishing and enjoy eternal life by believing in God. Will you tell others to do likewise?
God protects from condemnation
“Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.” – Psalm 91:8
Did you know that believers will see the judgment of unbelievers? It is better to “see” them now and try to prevent their judgment. This can be done by sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ so that they can believe God’s message. Fortunately, those who believe God’s promise will only see the judgment. They will never experience the judgment.
God protects as a refuge
“Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;” – Psalm 91:9
Have you made the LORD God of heaven your refuge and safe place? Dwelling in Him happens when you believe Him. This means that you believe His way is the right way. You believe that He alone must save you by mercy and grace, not as a reward for your best effort. Do you believe?
God protects from evil
“There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.” – Psalm 91:10
When you dwell in the LORD, no harm can come to you. No evil and no threat are possible when you are in the protective custody of God. How do you come to be in His protective custody? Believe Him. That is all He asks of you. Believe that His way is the right way and the only way. Believe that He alone must save your soul. There is nothing you can do to be worthy of salvation. He gets all the credit for saving you and for showing you mercy and grace. And once He saves you, you have a wonderful, eternal future to look forward to. There will be no evil, suffering, or harm and danger in heaven.
God protects with angels
“For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.” – Psalm 91:11
Did you know there is a spiritual warfare raging behind the scenes of the world? Daniel 10:12-13 reveals this warfare when the angel Gabriel told Daniel the reason for his delay in delivering his message.
“Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia.”
This was not a physical king fighting with the angels of God. This was the prince of Persia ruling the spiritual realm of Persia. Do you think the physical nations might be the manifestation of the spiritual nations that cannot be seen?
God protects from harm
“They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.” – Psalm 91:12
This verse is prophetic of Jesus Christ. Do you remember Satan tempting Jesus in the wilderness? He says in Matthew 4:6,
“If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.”
Jesus reminded Satan not to tempt God. When we find refuge in God, we are protected with the same protection and care given to Jesus Christ. And like Jesus, this protection is fully realized in heaven. While in this world of sin and evil, suffering is to be expected. But in God there is the peace that passes all understanding and the hope in His promise for eternal joy.
God protects with victory
“Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.” – Psalm 91:13
Continuing the prophetic vision of Christ’s victory, the promise is confirmed that was made in the Garden of Eden to Adam and Eve. After cursing Satan, God said in Genesis 3:15,
“And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.”
Satan and all evil have already suffered a crushing defeat with the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Death, hell, and the grave could not hold Him after He paid in full the infinite debt for sin. He is alive and well. He is free. Likewise, we are alive and well and free in Him. In Him, we have victory over Satan, sin, death, hell, and the grave. O victory in Jesus! Will you share in this crushing victory, or be crushed?
God protects us in His Son
“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.” – Psalm 91:14
In John 14:31, Jesus says,
“But that the world may know that I love the Father; and as the Father gave me commandment, even so I do.”
With this stated, Jesus went to the cruel cross to pay for our sins. But with love, His Father delivered Him from the grave and set Him on high. Jesus now sits at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:2 declares,
“Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
All those who believe in God’s sacrifice and love trust in His promise and His grace. In Jesus we are delivered and raised on high to reign with Him (2 Tim 2:12).
God protects those who call on Him
“He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.” – Psalm 91:15
The promise of God’s deliverance and blessings is made possible and is demonstrated in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Just as Jesus was delivered from the condemnation of hell, we too will be delivered if we believe that He did all this for us and if we want His promise. Have you called to God for His promise of deliverance? If not, do so now. Just believe. It is not about words and what you say. It is about what you believe. If you believe in Him and believe that His way is the right way and the only way, He will deliver you from eternal condemnation. Jesus warns in John 3:18,
“He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”
Did you know you can believe right now and be saved?
God protects forever
“With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.” – Psalm 91:16
Do you think that by believing in God you will live longer than others? It is true, but it does not appear to be so, based on the ages and beliefs of those who have died. Some believers die at young ages. Many unbelievers outlive believers. And according to the Bible, at one time a long life was over 500 years. This raises the question, what is long life? How long does it last? What does this verse mean? What makes it true? Jesus said in John 3:15,
“That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.”
Aha! Eternity is a long time. This is the long life God has in mind. This makes sense. After all, He is God. To Him, anything less than eternity would be a short life. A few years of life, even up to a thousand years on earth, is nothing compared to eternity. James 4:14 reminds us,
“For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.”
It is wrong for us to think of God’s promise of long life as being long by our standards. Who wants a hundred years or even a thousand years when you can have eternal life?
Experiencing comfort
If you believe God and that His promises are for you too, then you will experience the peace of mind other believers have had pleasure in. It is this comfort that is needed while suffering continues in this world of sin, Satan, and death.
God’s promise is for anyone who will believe Him. He wants you to know His peace, and He wants to give you hope of an eternal future filled with life and blessings.
Sharing your comfort
Second Corinthians 1:3-7 gives insight into the comfort we can experience in God in spite of our sufferings. It also explains how our comfort in Him can comfort others.
“Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ. And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation. And our hope of you is stedfast, knowing, that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation.”
Consolation is comfort and encouragement. In Christ, there is reason to be encouraged by the anticipation of His promise. And that anticipation comforts us.
Believe in God’s promise, and share your peace of mind with others. Encourage others with your testimony as well as with your words of trust in God.
Changing your life for good
If this article has helped you in some way, share your blessing with others. Let me know in what way you benefitted.
Ask God to teach you more about prayer. And search for more articles in my blog for more insights into prayer.
I look forward to hearing from you and reading your comment below.
