My Refuge and My Fortress

     Today, I want to share a unique perspective on Psalm 91, and a testimony that will be sure to stir your spirit and heart. (Please read to the end for this inspiring word). I want to stress that this impactful psalm has been at the center of prayer lives for over 3200 years, and it is particularly relevant today.

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
    will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
² I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress,
    my God, in whom I trust.”

 

³ For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler
    and from the deadly pestilence.
⁴ He will cover you with his pinions,
    and under his wings you will find refuge;
    his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.
⁵ You will not fear the terror of the night,
    nor the arrow that flies by day,
⁶ nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness,
    nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.

⁷ A thousand may fall at your side,
    ten thousand at your right hand,
    but it will not come near you.
⁸ You will only look with your eyes
    and see the recompense of the wicked.

⁹ Because you have made the Lord your dwelling place—
    the Most High, who is my refuge—
¹⁰ no evil shall be allowed to befall you,
    no plague come near your tent.

¹¹ For he will command his angels concerning you
    to guard you in all your ways.
¹² On their hands they will bear you up,
    lest you strike your foot against a stone.
¹³ You will tread on the lion and the adder;
    the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot.

¹⁴ “Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him;
    I will protect him, because he knows My name.
¹⁵ When he calls to Me, I will answer him;
    I will be with him in trouble;
    I will rescue him and honor him.
¹⁶ With long life I will satisfy him
    and show him My salvation.”

    

     In the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic many Christians are finding their strength and hope in the encouraging words of Psalm 91. The ancient Jewish midrash (commentary) states that it was composed by Moses on the day he completed the building of the Tabernacle in the desert. If you are knowledgeable in the Bible, then you know that the glory of the Lord filled the completed tabernacle as a cloud covered the congregation, the covenant people of God. And this covering accompanied the Israelites as a sign of protection as they wandered in the desert. The last verse in the Book of Exodus tells us "For the cloud of the Lord was on the tabernacle by day, and fire was in it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel throughout all their journeys." The cloud was the presence of YHWH, who made His home in the tabernacle, and the fire is the Holy Spirit.    
     As recipients of the New Covenant with God, we are the tabernacle where the Most High now dwells, and the fire is still in us, in the presence of the Holy Spirit. So, I want to pose the same question to you that I asked in a 2012 blog post: Do you have the courage to believe that God literally means Psalm 91 in His promises of protection? Please take that question seriously, because it is not asked lightly, and here's why...
     I want to boldly declare that not everyone will benefit from the promises.  Like all the promises in Psalm 91, they are 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. It is essential that we choose to believe and trust His Word! Only those who are in close communion with God -- Christ lives in them and they live in Christ -- come into the secret place of shelter with the Most High. It is a promise of refuge and safety that we can trust!
     And I am sure it is not lost on you that "pestilence and plague" are prominently mentioned in Psalm 91. In referencing the "deadly pestilence", the psalm renders the promise in verse 7 profoundly comforting: A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. Likewise, we find the promises in verses 9 and 10 particularly reassuring: Because you have made the Lord your dwelling place—the Most High, who is my refuge—no evil shall be allowed to befall you, no plague come near your tent. But do you see the stipulation? You must have made the Lord your dwelling place; your refuge. And verse 14 makes it clear that Because we hold fast to Him in love, He will deliver us; He will protect us, because we know His name. This is a deep and abiding relationship between us and our God, with conditions attached to His protection. But as the Lord has shown me over and over, if I am faithful to Him in all my ways, He will be faithful to me, and all His promises are mine.
     But I want to now share a comment I received from a 78-year-old in Sydney, Australia. This person recently stumbled upon that blog post I wrote on Psalm 91 way back in 2012. But their comments bring new life and relevancy to my words. Prepare to be inspired as I was...
    
     "Never was Psalm 91 more relevant to mankind than today. 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 at higher risk, I have no fear, because I trust in God's promises in Psalm 91. 
     Until recently I have been teaching scripture to Primary School boys and girls (schools have been closed due to the Pandemic).  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 how the children accepted this truth so eagerly. Whenever I would use the phrase God makes a Promise in class, 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 are experiencing 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 never 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 verse 8 of Psalm 91].... Can we believe that the righteous will not get infected, while the unrighteous perish? May God bless and protect [us all]."

     I closed out my 2012 commentary on Psalm 91 with the admonition that it speaks of spiritual warfare - the attacks of the Enemy: the snare of the fowler; the pestilence and destruction; and the evil. God is a moral ruler and a God of Justice, so sooner or later the ungodly will reap their due punishment. But He is also a God of mercy for those who find shelter under His wings, and He will deliver us and protect us; He will rescue and honor us. So let us join with those precious children in Australia and shout, with upraised fists, When God makes a promise, He always keeps it! And then let us walk in the weeks and months ahead in full obedience to that Truth! Amen!