Selected Psalms

The Divine Hiding Place

“Dwelling Safe & Secure in the Presence of the Most High...” - Psalm 91

Introductory Thoughts:

·        I want to invite you this evening to open your Bibles with me to Psalm 91...

·        As you turn there, think about this question: In what or in whom do you find comfort and safety...? In this time where we are experiencing a certain level of danger, what are you turning to, to bring you peace and protection...? In what do you find your refuge and shelter...?

·        For some it might be work or money or entertainment or exercise or food or vacation or a new start...

·        Many of these things are good things, but none of them are meant to brings us comfort and safety or peace and protection... none of these things are meant to be our refuge and shelter in times of danger...

·        Trying to be safe and secure in these things will leave you disappointed, frustrated, anxious, scared and ultimately hopeless... in despair...

·        Psalm 91 is a song written for a time of danger... It’s a Psalm for those who are set about on all sides by danger – real danger, intense danger, comprehensive danger, immediate danger – and it tells us how we are to react as believers to that danger.

·        The great theme of this Psalm is that we as believers should learn to trust God in our times of danger.

·        We can give this Psalm the title of:

The Divine Hiding Place: Dwelling Safe & Secure in the Presence of the Most High...

·        Psalm 91 is an anonymous Psalm in that we do not know who wrote it and we do not know what was the spesific events at the time that the Psalm was written.

·        This makes the Psalm truly timeless in that it’s truths can apply to any Chritsian at any time in history, regardless of circumstances or situations...!

·        This is a Psalm for you tonight... a Psalm to instruct you in how to react to the dangers in your life.

·        Charles Spurgeon said of this Psalm: “In the whole collection there is not a more cheering Psalm, its tone is elevated and sustained throughout, faith is at its best, and speaks nobly.”

·        Lets then read Psalm 91...

Teaching Points:

·        From this Psalm we will then make three observations regarding dwelling safely in the presence of God in times of danger:

1. The Resolution of Consistent & Faithful Communion & Fellowship with God! (v1-2, 9)

·        This resolution to be safe and secure in the presence of God, begins with a Biblical view and understanding of who God is...

·        Note the four names of God used by the Psalmist in these opening verses:

·        “The Most High” – there is nothing an no one higher than God... He is above all...!

·        “The Almighty” – there is no one stronger or more potent than God.

·        “The Lord” – He is Yahweh – the covenant God who keeps His promises...!

·        “God” – the sovereign ruler who governs everything according to His providence.

·        The higher your view of God, the greater will be your safety and security that you find in Him!

·        It further then builds on what you believe God can provide for you when it comes to being your protection in times of danger.

·        Note the four terms used by the Psalmist which all have to do with finding safety and being protected namely: shelter, shadow, refuge and fortress...

·        Shelter has the idea of protection from a storm... Shadow brings about the idea of being near and finding rest... Refuge carries the idea of fleeing to a place of safety... Fortress emphasizes the idea of strength and stability...

·        Is this how you and I view God and what we believe He can provide for us as we experience danger in this world...?

·        If it is so, it would be proven by our resolve to dwell and abide in Him as we trust in Him...!

·        To “dwell” in God is to be at home with God, to make God and who He is your home... your permanent place of shelter and refuge...

·        To “abide” in God is to remain in Him and be connected to Him... to be close to Him...

·        Both these terms flows from the resolve, the commitment and decision to personally trust in God... (cf. v2)

·        We dwell and abide in God by spending time with God – listening to Him in reading what he has written; speaking to Him; thinking about Him in our unoccupied moments; adoring and worshipping Him; speaking about Him to others; giving to Him and making glad sacrifices to Him and for Him...

·        Sam Storms then asks and comments on this: “Do you live in God's presence every day or do you merely visit him for an hour on Sunday? The promised blessings of this psalm are not for those who occasionally run to God for help when they're in trouble. Nor is it for the sporadic, once-in-a-while prayer. God is a refuge to those who habitually seek their abode in him.”

·        This flows from making a conscious and willing decision to live in consistent and faithful communion and fellowship with God...! (cf. v2, 9)

·        Along with this then comes the reality of discipline and effort that is needed to “dwell” in God and “abide” in Him as you “trust” in Him.

·        This then needs to be your resolution in all circumstances and situations and seasons of your life if you are to experience being safe and secure in the presence of God...!

·        His presence is our peace and potection and refuge...!

·        Because in the second place, observe...

2. The Result of Comprehensive & Steadfast Cover & Security from God! (v3-8, 10-13)

·        In this Psalm we find some great and wonderful statements regarding the Lord’s deliverance and protection in various situations and circumstances of danger, be it enemies or diseases or evil that threatens us.

·        It is important to, as we strive to make these results our own, to balance them out with the rest of scripture, the reality of this world and eternity...!

·        We should guard against wanting to claim all of these statements as absolute promises that must be true in all our times of danger.

·        Ultimately, we can know that Jesus as the Messiah is the fulfilment of everyone of these statements and that eternity will bring about the full realization of every one of these promises...!

·        As we then trust the Lord for the deliverance and covering and protection that He promises in this Psalm, we should always do it with the same prayer in our hearts that Jesus prayed in Mark 14:36...

·        As we have this kind of trust, we can rest in two realities regarding the providence of God in our times of danger namely:

1) He is in complete control; (Eph 1:11)

2) He is working everything for our good...! (Rom 8:28)

·        That being said, we can with confidence trust our God for these results in our times of danger...

2.1 Rescue from our enemies and sickness... (v3)

·        We can trust that God can rescue us from those who try to trick and deceive us in order to bring us harm...

·        We can trust that God can rescue us from deadly sickness... when it comes down to it, He alone is the One who can heal us...!

2.2 His tender and strong protection... (v4)

·        The image of a mother eagle that is protecting her young ones in a time of danger is used to symbolizes God’s tender care for His children in times of danger and threats...

·        But also God is pictured as being our armour that is strong and gives us close and all round protection in times of danger...

2.3 Freedom from fear concerning all unexpected dangers... (v5-6)

·        Night and day and darkness and noonday are used to refer to various times when danger may come unexpectedly from enemies or sickness that is threatening to destroy you...

·        The believer is free from this kind of fear because he fears God and that brings rest from any and all kinds of other fears... if you fear God there is nothing else left to fear...! What a blessing...!

2.4 Being safe against great odds and probabilities... (v7)

·        God can keep His children protected in times when the odds and probabilities are against them since He is the One who overrides all these odds and are in control of all probabilities...

2.5 Being secure from God’s judgement... (v8)

·        Whatever danger may befall that child of God, he can know that it is not as a reward or recompense for him being “wicked”, for there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ and are by faith declared right with Him...

2.6 Protection from evil and plagues... (v10)

·        Charles Spurgeon: “It is impossible that any (evil) should happen to the man who is beloved of the Lord; the most crushing calamities can only shorten his journey and hasten him to his reward. (Evil) to him is no (evil), but only good in a mysterious form. Losses enrich him, sickness is his medicine, reproach is his honour, death is his gain. No evil in the strict sense of the word can happen to him, for everything is overruled for good.”

2.7 Angelic care and protection in order to stay the course... (v11-12)

·        There is such things as angels and God uses them as His messengers to minister to His children in their times of danger as they are obeying Him... (cf. Heb 1:14) ... we are not told anywhere in Scripture exactly how this happens, only that it happens... we have some examples – Peter delivered from prison...

·        In this sense, as we are obeying the Lord and it result in danger, we can trust that we are immortal until the Lord calls us home... His angels will guard us in His way and deliver us from real danger...

·        God send an angel to minister to Jesus in His time of need... Not to deliver Him from the cross, but to prepare Him for the cross... (cf. Luk 22:43)

2.8 Ultimate victory over the devil... (v13)

·        To tread and trample carries the idea of victory... defeating the enemy and danger that is threatening us...

·        The “lion” and “adder” or “serpent” are two well known depictions of the devil and therefore encourages us that, in Christ, we are more than conquerors and we share in His victory over our enemy – the devil...!

·        This is the comprehensive and steadfast cover and security that every believer can trust God for as they submit to his will in times of danger...!

·        And that bring us to our last observation regarding dwelling safely in the presence of God in times of danger...

·        In verse 14-16 we find a divine decree and declaration... we find a magnificent and mindblowing and majestic manifesto from God Himself...! It is a precious and priceless proclamation that every Christian should and can hold on to...! It is an awesome announcement of the most high and almighty God...! It is a steadfast statement about His consistent commitment to His people, His children, which should result in your and my eternal encouragement...!

3. The Declaration of the Faithful & Immanent Friendship & Intervention of God! (v14-16)

·        In these verses we find a six fold declaration of what God commits that He will do... note the six times that God says “I will...”

·        In these last lines of this Psalm God is speaking and He speaks personal and wonderful blessings over the one who dwells and abides and trust in Him...!

·        This is what God is resolved to do... unlike us that so often fail in our resolutions, God cannot and will not fail in what He is committed to do... He is Yahweh – the covenant keeping and faithful God...!

·        See the bessing of His...

1) Protection – to deliver and rescue...

2) Placement – to “set on high” so as to keep and guard... Protect...

3) Perception – He is mindful and attentive to his cry for help and is quick to perceive their need and to answer...

4) Presence – He will be with Him in times of trouble... trouble will come but we do not face it alone...!

5) Promotion – God honours those who honours Him and all who wait and trust upon Him will not stand ashamed...!

6) Prosperity and preservation – God in His wisdom and grace and providence is the One who determines the days that are allotted to us and however long it may be, for the saint the blessing is that He will satisfy him in those days... he will know the satisfaction of knowing God and have the further and sure blessing of being preserved for what will ultimately be fully realized at the end of time – our full and final salvation... our glorification...!

·        This is the resolution God is making, but again note something of our responsibilty in these verses... note for whom are these blessings...

·        It is for those who hold fast, cling to and are clued to God in love for Him...!

·        For those who know His name, namely know who He is and live in a personal trust relationship with Him – Ps 9:10

·        For those who call on Him – in faithful dependence, trusting in Him and knowing that they need Him...!

Closing Thoughts:

·        If you are then a follower of Jesus Christ, if you are a child of God, if you dwell and abide in God as you trust in Him, if you cling to Him in love and know Him and call upon Him, you can be sure of dwelling safe and secure in the presence of God...!

·        It does not mean that God will always deliver and protect us in this life as we might think, but it does absolutely mean that we can be sure of our ultimate deliverance in Christ, our Messiah, unto everlasting life in His presence...!

·        Every one of these promises of God will be fulfilled in the eternity of the believer...!

·        Add this last verse Ps 91:16, to other verses from the Psalms that speaks about the ultimate deliverance of our souls... verses like Ps 121:7-8, Ps 16:9-11; Ps 23:6...

·        Ps 91:1... Forever!