Jer. 11:1-8, 14-20
Rom. 6:1-11
John 8:33-47
Psalm 91
1You who live in the shelter of the Most High, who abide in the shadow of the Almighty,
2will say to the LORD, “My refuge and my fortress; my God, in whom I trust.”
3For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence;
4he will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.
5You will not fear the terror of the night, or the arrow that flies by day,
6or the pestilence that stalks in darkness, or the destruction that wastes at noonday.
7A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.
8You will only look with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked.
9Because you have made the LORD your refuge, the Most High your dwelling place,
10no evil shall befall you, no scourge come near your tent.
11For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.
12On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.
13You will tread on the lion and the adder, the young lion and the serpent you will trample under foot.
14Those who love me, I will deliver; I will protect those who know my name.
15When they call to me, I will answer them; I will be with them in trouble, I will rescue them and honor them.
16With long life I will satisfy them, and show them my salvation.
This psalm is one of my favorites. I first read part of it in an unlikely place. It was in a Christian children’s book. In one scene the young protagonists were going to be burned at the stake by Indians. One of the children quoted verse 5. Sure enough, in the next chapter, everyone was saved by the Pony Express rider.
Years later, I learned a song based on this psalm—“On Eagles’ Wings” (Michael Joncas) whose refrain says: And He will raise you up on eagles' wings, bear you on the breath of dawn, make you to shine like the sun, and hold you in the palm of His hand.
These eagles in Alaska know the meaning of trust. They are waiting at a feeding station for their daily fish. They are certain that the human visitors will not fail them.
Both these remind us of the truth found in the first verse. When we trust in the Lord, we are kept safe, no matter what the danger is we are held safe in the palm of God’s hand. Knowing and trusting in that, we can readily say and believe, “My refuge and my fortress; my God, in whom I trust.” When God is our refuge, we can rest secure in our relationship with God.
Have you had times in your life when your only hope was to trust in God? How did God prove faithful?
For your journal: Read through the psalm. List anything in your life that makes you fearful. Read the psalm again and insert whatever your greatest fear is into the psalm. Does it look less frightening in the context of this psalm?
