Psalm 91 is a psalm of confidence and trust. Its words have provided comfort to untold numbers of believers for thousands of years.
“Live under the protection of God Most High and stay in the shadow of God All-Powerful,” the psalm opens, “Then you will say to the LORD, ‘You are my fortress, my place of safety; you are my God, and I trust you.’” It is a beautiful statement, one full of promise.
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Smooth talkers come in both genders. They are clever and deceitful and their advice can be fatal. Following their counsel could lead to your peril.
Read More protection, direction, smooth talkLife is a battle isn’t it? We face battles every day like terminal illness, job insecurity, financial stress, relationship breakdown.
Perhaps, like David, you too have been on the front lines of battle. I know I have. I have faced intense spiritual warfare in my home. I have confronted the enemy as a pastor’s wife.
Read More protection, rescueThe psalmist here is not writing about the person who denies the existence of God. That would have been unheard of in ancient Israel. But there were, then as now, plenty of people who went about their everyday lives as if God could not see what they were doing. The Hebrew word for that kind of person is “nabal” and a man of that name died for his refusal to give food to David when he needed it (1 Sam 25).
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Many years after these words were written the apostle Paul asked the rhetorical question, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” Paul then went on to emphatically assert, “no one!” (see Romans 8:31-34) This should not come as a surprise given all that God has done for his people down through the years. In the New Testament the greatest evidence of God’s power is the redemption he accomplished in his Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.
Read More protection, deliverance, idolatry“Fear makes you faithless, faith makes you fearless.” The statement, attributed to an anonymous source, appeared in my Facebook news feed, posted by a friend in a status update. But the words gave me pause, compelling me to stop my mindless scrolling. I read the words over again. Then again. I shut my laptop; this was a thought worth pondering for a while.
Read More protection, fearSamson’s sinful nature is an example to avoid, but his active faith is to be admired.
Did you notice Samson is alone in his opposition to the Philistines? The tribe of Judah, which occupies this area, is content to allow enemies of Israel’s God to rule over them. Three thousand men from Judah confront Samson (v 11): “Don’t you know that the Philistines rule us, and they will punish us for what you did?”
Read More trust, protection, faithNighttime can be difficult time for many people. At night we are more susceptible to anxieties and worries. Some suffer insomnia because of the unbearable weight of burdens. Others wake up in the middle of the night finding themselves in a vicious fight with fearful thoughts. The night can confront us with threats that scare us or situations that overwhelm us. We must fight with these anxious thoughts on our own or trust the Lord to come to our rescue.
Read More protection, safety, peace, rest, sleepHow does this story relate to the commandment “Honour your father and your mother”? (Deuteronomy 5:16) What if one of your parents is an addict, mentally ill or demonized? How can you honour them? The obvious and general teaching is to honour your parents, but there are limitations to honouring parents that are incapacitated in some way. Jonathan understood this principle as he respectfully but persistently challenged his father Saul.
Read More God’s presence, God’s purposes, protectionEveryone experiences hopeless times, feeling cut off from the world, trapped far away from the comforts of home, family and friends. Life’s storms rage, all hell breaks loose, and it seems the proverbial ship is going down.
David was no stranger to this sort of bone crushing weariness.
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