A Modern Woman's Perspective On The Kingdom of God on Earth


December 30, 2012

Psalm 91:7-8

A thousand may fall at your side,
    ten thousand at your right hand,
    but it will not come near you.
You will only observe with your eyes
    and see the punishment of the wicked.


     These verses are sometimes difficult to comprehend.  Is it literal, or is it figurative; symbolic?  I have a question for you .... Do you have the courage to believe that God means this literally in His promise of protection?  Is it possible that this could mean exactly what it says, and we could miss out on the promise by doubting its veracity?  Can you see that this paints a picture of spiritual warfare, as well as physical attacks?
     I think it is safe to say that not everyone will benefit from this promise.  Like all the other promises in Psalm 91, this one is available to all; but only those who believe what God says in His Holy Word and hold fast to the promises within, will receive the benefits.  But we must choose to believe and trust His Word!
     Notice that this verse follows on the heels of verse 6, which tells us that we will not be afraid of the destruction....  God knows that there will be times when we will be overwhelmed with all the negative reports of life around us and in the world.  (Current events come to my mind; how about yours?)  That is why He is warning us in this verse that thousands will fall around us; they will not only cave into the doubts and worries of spiritual warfare, but could be consumed by the actual real-life events that are happening all around us (wars and mass murders; viruses and diseases).  
     At this point we have to choose whether we will believe and trust; running to that shelter of the Most High, where He promised we would rest (find safety) in His shadow (remember verse 1 and the first promise?)  But as I've told you before, this takes action on our part.  He offers the promises of protection, but we must choose to claim them!  Otherwise, we find ourselves, along with the rest of the world, passively accepting the consequences of "the destruction" that is befalling the thousands at our side, and the ten thousands at our right.  
     What I hope you have seen --- and will see in the coming verses --- is that Psalm 91 is a complete covenant package of protection.  It covers all the evils known to mankind, and God tells us how to claim His protection over them all! 
     Now let's take a look at the rest of our selection today.  You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked ... Here God is telling us that we will see His judgment at times.  Sooner or later, every sin will be exposed and paid for.  We have seen that happen.  An evil dictator falls; an aggressive tyrant faces his crimes against humanity.  Nothing goes unpunished. I think this verse is telling us that if we seek His protection from the evil that is causing those around us to fall, that protection will include a sort of detachment; we will see it and not let it become part of us.  Our protection keeps us from letting the Enemy's hate become a part of us.  By believing and trusting in His protection promises, we are putting ourselves in a separate category from the wicked mentioned in the verse.
     I want to caution you that Psalm 91 does not promise protection from persecution.  As the author of the book, Psalm 91, says:  "There is a difference in the destruction of the enemy [as outlined in this Psalm] and persecution for the gospel's sake."  In truth, Jesus, himself, told us that if we follow Him, we can expect to be persecuted.  Jesus suffered persecution, but He did not face calamity, disaster, disease, or catastrophes.  This verse lets us know to expect that spiritual warfare will be a part of our Christian walk, as well as physical attacks.  The words of this verse are not written just to inspire or comfort us, but to provide protection and deliverance from the attacks of the Enemy.

7 comments:

  1. I think this is about as balanced and true of an analysis of Psalms 91 in conjunction with some of the challenges believers may face that I've seen.
    I might also add that it seems--at least in some cases--that a believer has the choice of facing that persecution or escaping it, and not necessarily by failing to preach and live the Word. (for example, Jesus told the authorities who were threatening to take Him that He could call a legion of angels at any time.
    And Paul basically was making the determination whether or not he would go ahead and join the Lord in heaven or remain for the sake of others (ultimately deciding to remain to spread the gospel further).

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    1. At the time I wrote this, four years ago, in 2012, God had not yet revealed to me the "big picture" of spiritual healing and deliverance. I now know that I (we) have the Power and Authority of Jesus Christ, Himself, to defeat the attacks of the Enemy. He told us that we would do what He has done, and even greater things (John 14:12). It is to the glory of God that I have been allowed to see Jesus work in the lives of those held in some of the most egregious bondage you can imagine, and have had the privilege of seeing them set free. They can then go forward with the knowledge and trust that they do not need to give in to the spirits of oppression. God has given us spiritual armor to protect us and it's time we start to trust in it!

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  2. God bless you Pam Kohler. This is so inspiring. God Bless You.

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  3. Thank you for this! This morning after having read this countless times, Psalm 91:7-8 jumped out at me with clarity i wanted to confirm! Love when the Lord opens Scripture to us and gives eyes to see!

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  4. And, doesn't it seem as if He is revealing more and more to us each day? I am always so grateful when my spirit can rise above my soul and flesh and receive God's Truth so clearly and without any doubt.

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  5. Never was Psalm 91 more relevant to mankind than today. Pam Kohler, your explanation of Psalm 91 is what the Holy Spirit has been revealing to me over the last few weeks, as the Corona Virus brings the whole World to its knees. Although at age 78 I am in the at higher risk cohort, I have no fear, because I trust in God's promise in Psalm 91. Until recently (schools have been closed due to the Pandemic) I have been teaching scripture to Primary School boys and girls. Last year the syllabus dealt with God's promises. I taught the kids, as the Bible teaches us, that when God makes a Promise He Keeps it! I was so happy to observe the children accepted this truth so eagerly. Whenever I would use in class the phrase 'God makes a Promise', the whole class would rise in unison, punch the air with their little fists and shout out loud, 'He always keeps it'. I pray they will never forget this truth. It is clear to me (like you) that only those who truly believe in the promises of Psalm 91 will receive the protection from God which is promised in this Psalm.
    I am dismayed that many God fearing Christians (including the Pastor of the Church I attend in Sydney, Australia) when praying for God's help in this global crisis, are only asking God to help the scientists discover a vaccine or treatment for Covid-19, when the most obvious thing to ask is that God causes the virus to mutate into a harmless type. God could do this if it is His will. However, I think about another promise from God, that He will shake the Heavens and the Earth once more. This could be what we experience now. After God cleansed the evil in mankind during the flood, He promised Noah He would not send another flood. However, God did not mention sending a plague. I have no spiritual confirmation through the Holy Spirit that this is what is happening now, but if this new plague is how God plans to cleanse mankind from people who hold evil in their hearts, the righteous may observe with our eyes the punishment of the wicked, as is written in the Bible. New York City has a bad reputation for being a Godless city, where good is called evil and evil is called good (examples, abortion and same sex marriages). Both are condemned by God, who calls them killing and abomination. NYC are suffering more sickness and death than most other cities in America. Could this be a sign of God's punishment? The righteous will not get infected, while the unrighteous perish?
    May god bless and protect you. Soli Deo Gloria.

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    1. I thank the Lord that I received your comment this morning ... and from a post I wrote in 2012! It shows us that God's timeline is not ours, doesn't it? And you have inspired me to revisit this post and ask the Lord for new revelations for this time. Thank you for teaching those young children that God's promises in the Bible are for all people in all times. You, my friend, have an inheritance waiting for you in Heaven! God bless you!

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