Spurgeon said of Psalm 91, “He who can live in its spirit will be fearless”.  As I sat in this Psalm for a bit, I saw why he made that comment.  Check this out.  Some definitions and comments are in ( ).

Verse 1:  “He who dwells (to sit down and remain in a location) in the shelter of the Most High (something that covers or affords protection–note it doesn’t take away the hard time, but protects you from harm–think of a “bomb shelter”) will abide (stay permanently–denotes trust) in the shadow of the Almighty (shade/shelter in the midst of “hot sun” seasons of life).  

Verse 2:  “I will say to the Lord (one on One conversation), ‘My refuge and my fortress, my (relationship) God, in whom I trust (to cause oneself to confidently hurry to for refuge)”.  

Those are things that I am responsible to do.  Stay close to God.  Be quick to confidently hurry and talk to Him throughout your life.  It doesn’t matter if it is a tiny speed bump, a big pothole, or a crater-sized situation–make yourself to traverse it right beside God.  

God’s part is described in verses 3-4. (Oh how I love the “I will’s” in these verses!!!)  God says, “HE WILL DELIVER you…”, “HE WILL COVER you…”, “HIS FAITHFULNESS is a shield (a large shield (as if guarding by prickliness) and buckler (something surrounding the person)”.  

(As I ponder the shield and buckler, I see that God can, and wants to, stand between the emotional “prickliness” of a trying season, as well as surrounding you, all the way around, and preventing harm to you.  BUT you have to stay near Him, allowing Him to be your buckler.  Here’s what I mean.  Just because you “have” a bomb shelter doesn’t shield you from the devastating effects of a bomb if you don’t enter it.  It’s the same with God, you have to “dwell” and “abide” and “go to God in confident trust”.)

Because of the faithfulness of God, “(I will) not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by the day, nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor the destruction that wastes at noonday”, (verse 5-6)  (That’s 24/7, 365 y’all!!!!)  

The result of my choosing to stay near to God and rely on His faithfulness is that God will say of me, “Because he holds fast to Me in love, I WILL deliver him; I WILL protect him, because he knows My name.  When he calls to Me, I WILL answer him; I WILL be with him in trouble; I WILL rescue him and honor him.  With long life I WILL satisfy him and show Him my salvation”, verses 14-16.  

With a guarantee like that from such a faithful God, why in the world do we try to handle the hard seasons of life by ourselves?!  

I can’t tell you how God used this Psalm this morning in my heart and mind.  He’s such a good, good God.