Tag: God’s protection

You hem me in—behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me.  Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.  (Psalm 139:5-6).

Continuing on yesterday’s theme, there are really two ways to see this passage.  If your heart isn’t right before God, you probably picture a prisoner, bound and chained, surrounded by guards.

Been there.  Felt that. No Bueno.

If your heart is right with God, you picture something like a squad of elite soldiers surrounding you, protecting you from whatever may attack.

Been there, too.  It’s better.

That’s where David was when he wrote this psalm.  He felt God’s hand upon him, not to hold David down, but to lift him up.  The whole idea was, “Too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.”  Think about that for a minute.  You serve a God who loves you more than you can even fathom.

His angels surround you.

His hand is upon you.

He’s got your back.

Walk in that today, Beloved.

O Lord, how many are my foes!  How many rise up against me!

Many are saying of me, “God will not deliver him.”

But you are a shield around me, O Lord; you bestow glory on me and lift up my head.

To the Lord I cry aloud, and he answers me from his holy hill.

I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the Lord sustains me.

I will not fear the tens of thousands drawn up against me on every side.

Arise, O Lord!  Deliver me, O my God!

Strike all my enemies on the jaw; break the teeth of the wicked.

From the Lord comes deliverance.  May your blessing be upon your people (Psalm 3).

Now that, Beloved—that oughta kick-start your week.

Read it twice, out loud—though perhaps, you know, not in an elevator or other public transportation.  Then stand tall, square those shoulders, and walk into Monday secure in the knowledge that you are not alone.

You are his.

He is yours.

That is more than enough—it is everything.

Go get ‘em,  Beloved.

“Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him.  I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.  He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.  With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation” (Psalm 91:14-16).

Look, I went on way too long yesterday.  You really should have stopped me.  Please pardon the sleep-deprived ramblings of a man struggling with a theological concept that he can’t fully grasp.

But this I get—I get it well enough to get out of the way and let the words speak for themselves.

Do us both a favor, Beloved.  Read these verses two, maybe three times.  Breathe it deep into your mind, your heart, your spirit.  Ladies, feel free to substitute the feminine pronouns so that nothing gets in the way of your understanding that this is for you.

I will point out one thing—I just can’t resist.  Notice the use of the verb will.

Not might.

Not may.

Will.

Wrap your heart around that and take it into your weekend, Beloved.

You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks 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 (Psalm 91: 5-7).

These verses used to give me fits, because they seemed…well…untrue.  I mean, believers get sick, get robbed, get hurt, and die just like unbelievers.

No, they don’t.

Hear me out—yes, believers get sick, get robbed, get hurt, and die, but not like unbelievers.

Psalm 73 gives us some clarification here.  The Psalmist expresses his frustration and anger at the fact that the godly suffer while the ungodly seem to have it made.  He continues in this attitude until, “I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny” (Ps 73:17).  He suddenly catches a glimpse of life from God’s perspective, and he realizes that the ups and downs of this life are not God’s first concern.  God’s first concern is our relationship with him; his first concern is our spiritual eternity.

So, back to Psalm 91.  Notice that the verse doesn’t say that arrows won’t fly at you, or pestilence or plague.  It says that you don’t need to fear these things.

And you don’t.  Because whatever may happen to you in this physical world, you can know that you are eternally his, eternally secure.  And the real dangers—the arrows of the evil one, the plague of sin—from those you are protected.  A thousand may fall to the wickedness of this world, ten thousand to the deceiver of men, but it will not come near you.

You are his.

Under his wings, remember?

Happy Thursday, Beloved.

When Cathy and I were married, a dear friend turned this amazing Psalm into an amazing song for our wedding.  I hear the music whenever I read this bit of Scripture.

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty (Psalm 91:1).

Where do you live?

Don’t worry, I’m not going to show up at your door—I’m being metphoricalish.  You see, this entire Psalm is God’s pledge of protection, but there is a caveat.  The promise only applies to those who “Dwell in the shelter of the Most High.”

So, again, where do you live?

Is your home in Christ?  Is he the one you trust, the one you turn to, the one you serve?  Do you, in fact, dwell in the shelter of the Most High?

Don’t answer too quickly.  Sure, you’re probably a believer—few who do not know Christ are interested in a daily devotional—but are you really dwelling in Christ, or in the world?

Do a little self-test today.  Flip to Psalm 139.  Read it, and pay close attention to how it makes you feel.  If you come away from lines like, “You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar,” and “You hem me in—behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me,” feeling peaceful and comforted, then you are in a good place.  If those lines make you twitch…you’ve got some business to do with the Almighty.

Work it out, Beloved.  It’s gonna be a busy week.

You hem me in—behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me.  Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.  (Psalm 139:5-6).

Continuing on yesterday’s theme, there are really two ways to see this passage.  If your heart isn’t right before God, you probably picture a prisoner, bound and chained, surrounded by guards.

Been there.  Felt that. No Bueno.

If your heart is right with God, you picture something like a squad of elite soldiers surrounding you, protecting you from whatever may attack.

Been there, too.  It’s better.

That’s where David was when he wrote this psalm.  He felt God’s hand upon him, not to hold David down, but to lift him up.  The whole idea was, “Too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.”  Think about that for a minute.  You serve a God who loves you more than you can even fathom.

His angels surround you.

His hand is upon you.

He’s got your back.

Walk in that today.