The Psalms are a blessing to read. Often, I think they sound best in the KJV or the NKJV because of the poetic nature in which they were written, but for better understanding I sometimes use the NIV or NLT version. Psalm 91 is particularly wonderful.
Psalm 91 NLT Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety: he is my God, and I trust Him. For He will rescue you from every trap and protect you from deadly disease. He will cover you with His feathers. He will shelter you with His wings. His faithfulness promises are your armor and protection. Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night, nor the arrow that flies in the day. Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness, nor the disaster that strikes at midday. Though a thousand fall at your side, though ten thousand are dying around you, these evils will not touch you. Just open your eyes and see how the wicked are punished.
If you make the Lord your refuge, if you make the Most High your shelter, no evil will conquer you; no plague will come near your home. For He will order His angels to protect you wherever you go. They will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone. You will trample upon lions and cobras; you will crush fierce ions and serpents under your feet!
The Lord says, “I will rescue those who love me. I will protect those who trust in my name. When they call on me, I will answer; I will be with them in trouble. I will rescue and honor them. I will reward them with a long life and give them my salvation.
Here are some ways to have fully receive the blessing of Psalm 91.
- Make it personal by replacing the “you” with “Me” or your name. And the “them” with your name. By making it personal, your mind, body and spirit can easily accept its truths and bring about the trust and comfort it is meant to bring.
- Do the S.O.A.P. method of Bible Study on Psalm 91. S-Scripture, O-Observation (your observation of each line), A-application (how to apply it to your life), P-Prayer (write a prayer using what you learned). The more you take this apart and write about it, even memorize it, the more powerful it will be to remove fear and anxiety. With the S.O.A.P. method I feel you get the most out of any scripture. For more information, see my book, S.O.A.P. How To Clean Up Your Stinking Thinking One Day At A Time.
- Pray Psalm 91. I know during Covid, I knew several people that prayed this as protection every day. Make it a daily or weekly prayer for you and your families protection.
- Pray Psalm 91 over God’s people all over the world and missionaries. Again substitute “you” for believers or God’s people or name a region like Israel or the United States
- Regularly say and pray, “I live in the shelter of the Most High. The Lord is my refuge and my fortress”. Reaffirm this covenant with the Lord. It’s not so much that you are reminding God, but you have to keep this commitment in your mind and heart. It can so easily be snatched from your mind when you face evil, negativity or a tragic event.
- Through an audio Bible from the public library using the Libby app on your phone, or Biblegateway.com audio button, you can listen to Psalm 91. Take the time to close your eyes and meditate on the words while someone reads it to you. Wonderful!
There is so much beauty in His promise, “I will be with them in trouble. I will rescue and honor them. I will reward them with a long life and give them my salvation.” God never promised us a life without trouble but He states I will be with them. Maybe we don’t always see or know all that He rescues us from, but He does and many things we don’t understand; it’s all in His time line. For me somethings have taken a few years, but honoring me, yes. Note: Many of my situations had to do with my own decisions and choices. In the end I grew and learned and came closer to God. I also know things could have been a lot worse for me and the situation could have gone the wrong way, so yes, I was rescued and protected.
“I will reward them with a long life.” Maybe not all of His children live long lives here on earth but they will in Heaven. Although I have known many that served Him well and lived quite a long life.
It’s all in our perspective; we can pick every scripture apart and add our negative spin on it, or read and study it with a heart full of love for the Lord. When we are able to embrace Psalm 91 or any scripture with reverence and love, I believe the Holy Spirit is able to convey the Father’s meaning. Best thing we can do is to pray before we start to read the scriptures, ask the Holy Spirit to come and teach us, then begin to enjoy the beauty of Psalm 91.
Jeremiah 33:3 ESV “Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.”
If possible, I would like you to spend time with Psalm 91 this week. Do the S.O.A.P. method on it and I will pick up with my personal S.O.A.P. and personal testimony about it next week in Part 2.
Prayer
Lord, we stand on your scripture and believe that you will rescue those that love you, but please reach out to those that do not. Thank you that you protect those who trust in you, but push the rest to the brink of a decision. Propel all of us to call on you, not just when we are in a situation but when we are thankful and things are good. Holy Spirit show us great and hidden things. We thank you that your will is to revive us and reward us with long and healthy lives. Open our eyes to see where we can serve you best. In Jesus’ name, amen.
God bless,
Sally
