Psalm 91 (English Standard Version)

Psalm 91

My Refuge and My Fortress

¹He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
²I will say to the LORD, "My refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust."

³For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler
and from the deadly pestilence.
⁴He 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,
⁶nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness,
nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.

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

⁹Because 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.
¹²On their hands they will bear you up,
lest you strike your foot against a stone.
¹³You 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.
¹⁵When he calls to me, I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble;
I will rescue him and honor him.
¹⁶With long life I will satisfy him
and show him my salvation."

This Psalm talks about he who "dwells in the shelter of the Most High," and some one who has "made the Lord your dwelling place." This is an idea that seems almost foreign to me. I'm not sure this is an idea that my culture would understand readily. I live in a culture that we go to church on Sunday and maybe attend a bible study or some other church-like function throughout the week. There are few people who I would say that they "dwell" with God on a daily basis. I don't feel I dwell with God on a daily basis. I cannot say that I have made the Lord my refuge. Yet we have all these promises for the person who does as such. God will "be with him," "you will not fear," "you will only look with your eyes and see the recompense of the wicked." Great men of God asked that God be with them. Moses refused to go unless God was with him. I am a very fearful person. The promise that I will not fear strikes a chord with me. I will see God making the wicked repay what they have destroyed. I often feel life is so unfair, but God will make sure justice is done. This last part of the Psalm speaks to me and sums up the promise of the Lord well.

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

I find great comfort in these words. I find great sorrow in these words. I don't hold fast to the Lord in love. I don't know the Lord as I should. I don't call on Him when I am should. Yet the hope is this, that I will hold fast to my Lord, I will know He is God and the significance of that, I will call upon Him who is able to keep me from falling, and He will satisfy me and shoe me His salvation.

Lord, I have a week a head of me full of opportunities to seek You out. I ask that You would open up my heart to You. Give me a mind that thinks first of You. May my pride and sinful behavior become less and less in the site of You. May my heart dwell with You. Father, I don't want to be a visitor or and orphan who never really belongs. I want to know and understand living and being with You. You have created me and understand all my intricate expectationalites. I want to know You. So give me a heart that seeks to know You. May I dwell so strongly in Your presence that the world knows that I am Yours. Father, I pray that as I am working right here I would be open to Your will and that I would minister to the people around me as I seek You. But as I know that this is not the only place You would want me to be, give me grace as I seek to move closer to the goal You have set before me. Amen.