He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. Ps.91:1
In my last blog we looked at the first part of this verse that is followed by so many promises of care and protection. David begins by saying that he who dwells, stays, continues, remains sitting, or abides in the secret place of the Most High will rest. Most High is translated from the Hebrew elyon. It conveys the sense that the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is above all and over all. His majesty, his power, and his wisdom surpass all others. That description is then coupled with Shaddai which is translated Almighty which reminds us that God is not only higher, more majestic and wiser than any other but also wields immeasurable power.
David begins his psalm with a reminder of who this God is in whom he trusts. It will take a God of that magnitude to deliver on the promises contained in the rest of this Psalm 91. It is always good to begin our prayers and our praise with a rehearsal of the nature of our God in whose hands were are placing our future. He who intimately remains in the shelter or hiding place of the Most High will rest in his shadow. The word translated rest means to spend the night, to abide, or to relax. IN our vernacular, we could say that he who abides in the secret place of God lives stress free and finds that peace or that stress free life in the shadow of the Almighty.
For those who hid out in the burning wilderness of the Middle East, a huge rock that cast a shadow was a welcome place. It provided comfort and protection from the heat and enemies. This verse reminds us that our God casts a big shadow. In that shadow we are sheltered from the storm, the scorching heat of midday and from the prying eyes of the enemy. Because our God is our Rock and our Strong Tower we can rest, relax, and spend time in his shadow.
David never viewed God as the one who would keep us from all battles but rather the as the one who would give us victory in the midst of battle and times of rest and renewal in between our battles. Too often we have interpreted salvation as God’s promise that we will never struggle, never face crisis and never find ourselves in a battle. God has never promised that. What he has promised is victory and deliverance in the midst of those things.
David goes on to declare, “I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. (Ps.91:2-7).
Notice that David trusts in the Lords deliverance in the midst of battle and in the face of trouble. We can never learn to trust until we have to trust. If God were to keep us from all conflict and calamity we would never have need of faith or trust. I only discover if I can trust someone when I absolutely need him or her to come through for me – when I am absolutely dependent on his or her faithfulness and ability to save me from the calamity I face. We live in enemy territory for now so must expect some trouble along the way but the key is faith in God and the condition is remaining in his presence.
In the face of life threatening circumstances David makes some exalted and, perhaps, seemingly outlandish claims of God’s care and deliverance. Ten thousand fall at your right hand but you are spared. Angels will surround you and defend you. You will trample on the lion and the cobra. Are these poetic exaggerations and can we expect that kind of deliverance from our God? We will consider that question in my next blog. Until then…be blessed.
