A Life Worthy

Tag: Psalm 91

  • One-a-Day Friday 3/28/14

    number 1“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.

  • One-a-Day Thursday 3/27/14

    number 1You 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.

  • One-a-Day Wednesday 3/26/14

    number 1He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge… (Psalm 91:4a).

    I’m not really what you might call a “bird person.”  Sure, some of them are pretty and some of them make music and some of them are quite tasty, but in general they eat things from my garden that I had planned to eat, leave undesired presents on my car, and wake me up on the rare day that I could have slept in.

    Still, there’s something about this image.

    You’ve seen it on nature shows, the shot of a Mama bird spreading her wings out over her babies to hide them and guard them.  The message is, “If you want these little ones, you’ll have to come through me!”  Or what about the penguins?  You see the footage of Daddy Penguin with his baby sitting right on his feet, Dad’s wings protecting the chick.  I kind of like that image of the Father.  He holds us on his lap (penguins don’t have laps, per se, but they do the best they can) with his arms around us, keeping us safe as we take in this world of his.

    Beloved, you are worth more than many penguins.

  • One-a-Day Tuesday 3/25/14

    number 1I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” (Psalm 91:2)

    My refuge.

    My fortress.

    My place of safety and strength, with strong walls to protect me from the world.

    Face it, Beloved.  We all need a place to which we can retreat.  When our armor is dented and our sword arm is weary, we need to pull back and regroup, recharge, refresh.  God gives us that place; better yet, God is that place.  His love surrounds us like an unassailable wall, keeping us protected.

    Keeping us safe.

    You are safe, Beloved.  Rest in that today.

  • One-a-Day Monday 3/24/14

    number 1When 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.