Monday
Psalm 91.1-2 “Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”
This is a Psalm for dangerous times. The Most High is the title for God “that cuts every threat down to size.” Almighty is the name for God’s sovereign power. Lord is the name given to Moses, the delivering and guiding God, “I AM!” All this is made personal by the Psalmist who uses the possessive case, My God. Our safety and security are found in a personal relationship with The Most High, "my God in whom I trust."
Tuesday
Palm 91.1-2 “Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”
The metaphors for safety are equally rich and convincing. The shelter of the Most High; rest in the shadow of the Almighty; the Lord God as our refuge and fortress. These two verses put us in our place, “in the shadow of the Almighty.” No wonder Luther taught us to sing, “A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing.” We live in the shadow of the Almighty and within the encircling providence of God. This is the God of whom we say, “My God in whom I trust.”
Wednesday
Psalm 91.3-4 “Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his feathers and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.”
The rest of this Psalm could be called the Terms and Conditions of a comprehensive Life Policy! Whatever is a threat and to be feared is covered, quite literally, because we live under the protective wings of God’s faithful mercy and steadfast love. The shield and rampart give protection to those who are under siege – and we’ve all been there, besieged, when it seems everything is against us. But in our worst moments and tightest corners, God too, is there, our refuge…and strength.
Thursday
Psalm 91.5-8 “You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in 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. You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked.”
Life’s a battle. None of us escape the costs and consequences of being human, of living a life in which joy and sorrow, achievement and failure, wellbeing and suffering, safety and danger, all mix together in the everydayness of our stories. But around us and beneath us, above us and within us, is the God we have come to know in Christ. “Nothing shall separate us from the love of God!” We live under the shadow of the Almighty and Christ is our refuge and fortress. Whatever happens!
Friday
Psalm 91.9-10 “If you make the Most High your dwelling – even the Lord who is my refuge – then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent.”
Yes, bad things still happen to good people. This text is not a promise of immunity from pain and loss, suffering and hurt. But when life collapses beneath us, or we are in a hard place, we are held and surrounded by a Love that will never let us go. Jesus commanded his followers to “Abide in me”, to “Remain in my love”. That, for us is to “make the Most High our dwelling”. We are held safe in the power of the risen Lord in whom we trust, kept before the throne of God by our great High Priest who ever lives to make intercession for us.”
Saturday
Psalm 91.11-13 “For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. You will tread on the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent.”
This was the verse Satan quoted when tempting Jesus. There is no guarantee that all our problems will be solved, or that we won’t face times when life breaks beneath us. But God’s presence is promised, we are “guarded in all our ways.” The old hymn says it: “But God hath promised strength for the day, rest for the labour, light for the way, grace for the trials, help from above, unfailing sympathy, undying love.” Every minute, we dwell in the shelter of the Most High…under the shadow of the Almighty.
Sunday
Psalm 91 14-16: “Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honour him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.”
This is the Comprehensive Cover offered to those who love and serve God, who dwell in the shelter of the Most High, and who live under the shadow of the Almighty. We love because he first loved us, and so affirm our faith: “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”
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