Psalm 91 is just one of the many things we pray over all our partners each day. So many things the Lord has given us in His word express His great love for us, and of course, none more so than the good news that over 2000 years ago, a Savior was born unto us, the Lord Jesus. Now, that wasn’t just a snap decision the Father made. No, it was planned even before the foundation of the world. Even before sin invaded the Garden of Eden and brought death into the world, He knew we were going to need a Savior, and provided for our need, even before we knew it was there. Isn’t that just like a loving Father? I believe Psalm 91 is another one of God’s greatest gifts to mankind. David wrote it by the inspiration of the Holy Ghost. It’s a three way conversation between David, Jesus, and the Father. And it applies to all who love the Lord, from generation to generation. Study it like this: verses 1-2 are David speaking. Put yourself in David’s place and that’s you speaking those verses to God. Then verses 3 through 13 are Jesus replying to you. Then, verses 14-16 are the Father’s response to you and Jesus. And it goes like this:

1. He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

There is a place where you can be, where no matter what is going on in your life, you can be immovable. The storm may blow all around you, and you can hear it and see it, but you know you’re safe. Like a well built storm shelter, you can’t be touched. Only, it isn’t just a safe place where you run when it storms. No, it’s a place where you live all the time, above the storm, a place where the storm cannot even hope to approach. That’s where you can live. When at first I studied this Psalm, I saw it as a three way conversation between King David, Jesus, and the Father. Then the Holy Spirit reminded me, I am in Christ Jesus, and therefore the promise is unto me. In fact, it is for all who are in Him. It is for all who will abide. But if you come out from under the shadow of the Almighty, then the storm can get you. The key, then, is in the abiding.
The devil will do all he can to lure you out. If he can’t entice you with the things of the world, then he will try discouragement. Failing that, he will try to keep you so busy doing things that you neglect your time alone with God. Whatever it takes to get your mind off God, he will try to use it on you. Every person has their own particular temperment and so the devil watches us to see what our “hot button” is, then he will push it. With me, it’s clutter. When I sit down to study, I like order around me. When I see something that doesn’t bring peace to my spirit, I want to change it, and by the time I’ve done that, the time I had meant to use to seek God is all used up. And it’s hard to replace all that busyness with quiet time.
God likes order in His universe, and I like order in mine as well. Only He has had all eternity to establish that order, and I have not. So time is a tough issue for me. It makes it tough to abide in God’s presence when there are so many things demanding my attention. I have had to learn to say “enough” and learn to live with some things I would like to change for the sake of spending quality time with God. But I don’t always succeed in doing so. And it is during those times when I allow the cares of the world to slip in, that I am the most frustrated. Once you step out of the storm shelter, you’re in the midst of the storm raging around you. Someone might say, Then why would you go out? Well, there are things that need to be done. A person might think, I’ll stay inside until the storm is over, then I’ll go out. But the storm never goes away. The trick, then, is to navigate through the storm while taking your storm shelter with you, so you can remain untouched. Which brings me to the next verse;

2. I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress, in Him will I trust.

You see, it is possible to have a “mobile” refuge and fortress. God doesn’t expect you to spend your life in a cave. He created us to interact with Him, as well as people and things in the world around us. He did not create us to be hermit crabs. A hermit crab carries his shell with him everywhere he goes and hides back inside it when trouble comes. But he isn’t a social creature. He doesn’t share his shell with others. That’s where we’re different. God created us to share our fortress and refuge with others, that is to tell others about His loving protection. Did you notice that God is a personal refuge? He is my fortress and refuge, in Him will I trust.
God wants you to know that He isn’t just for someone else. He is there for you! A refuge and a fortress is where you can escape to for safety, but God doesn’t say that check-out time is 11a.m. like a hotel. No, in fact, he would really like it if you would move in and stay. He has a place especially prepared for you. It’s not a “one-size-fits-all” generic kind of place. It’s a special place of joy, like a vacation home that you can’t wait to go to. Does that sound like a place you’d like to live? And you never have to leave to go back to wherever it is that you came from, that’s the best part!

3. Surely He shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler and from the noisome pestilence.

What He is telling us here, is that the snare of the fowler is ever being set to trap us. The devil never takes a day off. He is on the hunt continually for who he can take captive at his will. But if we will walk with the LORD continually, He will guide us safely down the path He walks with us, around all the traps. It’s kind of like walking through a minefield with a friend who knows where all the mines are buried. It could be fatal if you step in the wrong place, but it’s safe for you because your steps are ordered by the LORD. He delivers us from all the annoying pestilence and wasting of the devil.
Birds are caught in nets when they are startled and driven by a hunter in the direction of the net. They are so busy fleeing the hunter that they don’t see the net in their path until it’s too late. God knows where all the nets are that the fowler has put up to catch us. And He knows where the fowler is lurking behind us. So when God warns us we can flee by another direction, thereby escaping the net.
Different people have different kinds of nets that entangle them. For some, it’s alcohol or gambling. For some it’s pornography on the internet. For some it’s drugs. God’s people should never be participating in any of these. Now this is where the goodness of God is manifested. If any of those people who are caught up in those things will come to Him, He will open the net and free them. You see, the doors of the fortress are always open to those who will flee to Him. There is freedom in the fortress. I know people who have suffered addictions for years before they ran to the LORD for refuge. He didn’t leave them in bondage, He set them free! And the key to staying free after that is to stay in the fortress. Isn’t it wonderful to know we can have eyes of God before us, behind us, beside us, over us, under us,and inside us to see the traps of the enemy? I believe that may be what the seven spirits of God refers to. He will deliver us from every trap and scheme of the enemy if we will just abide in Him.

4. He shall cover thee with His feathers, and under His wings shalt thou trust. His truth shall be thy shield and buckler.

I am reminded of a story of a farm where a chicken coop burned down. The mother hen had gathered all her chicks under her wings when there was no way they could escape the fire. Later when the farmer removed the rubble, there was the mother hen dead and burned. But under her wings were all her baby chicks, alive and unharmed. She had given her life to save her chicks. When there was no way for us to escape the Lake of Fire, Jesus gathered us all under His wings and gave His life that we might live. He took the fires of hell so we would never have to ourselves. And though the devil lies to us and tries to convince us that God doesn’t love us, God’s truth is our shield and buckler. We can trust in God. He cannot lie. On the other hand, the devil cannot tell the truth, for there is no truth in him.

5. Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night, nor for the arrow that flieth by day;

The LORD has us covered, day or night. We don’t need to lay awake afraid of what goes bump in the night, or if someone is going to break into our home. We can even have peace if there is war going on all around us. Our sleep can be peaceful, knowing that the LORD GOD of Israel neither slumbers or sleeps. So if He is going to be up all night watching over us, we might as well get some sleep. No sense in all of us being up….
During the daytime He hasn’t forgotten us. We’re never out of His sight. Though arrows fly all around us, the LORD will protect and keep us. But it’s up to us to abide in Him. That means to take up residence in Him. Did you know that fear is the devil’s most powerful weapon? People have actually died of fright, and the thing that they feared didn’t kill them, fear did. If you would point a gun in the face of someone who has never seen one, they wouldn’t be afraid of it. But we have been conditioned to fear guns, knowing they can bring death to us. So if someone points a gun at us, fear sets in. Few people have actually been shot. So why are they so scared of guns? Because they have heard or seen what has happened to others who have been shot. Fear is what the government used in the Soviet Union to keep people in line. People were afraid to do anything to get free of the oppression, knowing if they tried, they might be shot.
Why does God tell us over and over “Fear not”? It causes torment! Not only that, it causes division between people. It causes mistrust. Many wars have been started because someone thought someone else was going to hurt them, so they wanted to get in the first lick. If you get rid of fear, you get rid of war. Make the removal of fear from your life a major goal. God is big enough to take care of you! When you fear, you are telling God that He is not up to the job.

6. nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness, nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.

Pestilence is defined as plague or destruction, or murrain, or punishment from the LORD. Once again, that isn’t for God’s children. The devil is the destroyer, all his works are darkness, and that’s why people who live in sin love darkness, so their sins are not brought to light. Most crimes are committed at night under the cover of darkness. But even when the devil works in the daytime against us, we are to have no fear in us. Fear is a poison. How much poison is ok for us to put in our body? How much destruction is good for us? If we will dwell in the secret place of the Most High, there is nothing at all that can hurt us. God will turn what the devil uses to harm us to our good.
No fear lives here, only a reverential awe for the presence of God. As it says in Psalm 23, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me.” Everyone walks through the valley of the shadow of death. But God will hold our hand and will not allow our foot to slip. We have nothing to be afraid of. God, who made the whole creation cannot be defeated or frightened. Has God ever said, “That scares me to death!”? No, and you never will. And if God isn’t scared, and He loves you, then what do you have to be scared of?
When you wholly trust God, you turn the devil’s most powerful weapon back in his face. If you are a little kid and the neighborhood bully is getting ready to hit you and your big brother suddenly walks up, you aren’t scared of the bully anymore, are you? Why not? Because someone a lot bigger than the bully just came to your rescue. What do you do then? You laugh at the bully, he isn’t so tough now, is he? The devil can take out everyone around you to try to get you to panic.

7. A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand, but it shall not come nigh thee.

Maybe you got the news at work today they’ve laid off several people, and you’re next in line. And the devil is telling you, What are you gonna do now, huh? Well, you could get in a panic and worry yourself sick, or you could do the right thing and just take God at His word. He said destruction could rain down all around you and take out a thousand at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. Now, that’s deliverance from God! He will build a shield around you that the devil just can’t get through. Oh, it may look like the devil is going to win, but the LORD says NO! Not today, devil. Not any day.
Think about it, when was the last time the devil kicked God off His throne? If you consider just that one thing alone, you will never have another bad day. You will know you are safe in Christ Jesus no matter what goes on around you. God never has a bad day. He never runs out of what He needs. He has never lost a battle, never tells a lie, and He made you a lot of promises in this one Psalm alone. And not one word of God will ever fail to do it’s job. While everyone else is living under, you can live above. While everyone else is the tail, you can be the head, the lender and not the borrower. Destruction can’t touch you as long as you are abiding under the shadow of the Almighty.
They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so picture this; You’re in a war zone, bullets flying in every direction. Everyone all around you is falling dead or wounded. Yet, nothing is touching you. You’re just going on with your life, oblivious to it all. Unsaved members of your family are dropping like flies. Yet, you and those who are in Christ Jesus are unharmed. That’s the way you need to see yourself, because that’s the way God sees you. You are His and He is yours. He calls you His child. And no good father will let anything happen to one of his kids. You can count on it, no matter what!

8. Only with thine eyes shall thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.

Payday isn’t every Friday with God. Some men’s sins are open to be seen. Some are not. Some reap judgment in the here and now. Other’s sins follow them to the grave. But every one will answer for what they have done in the flesh. One day every child of God will personally witness the destruction of Satan. God tells us not to avenge ourselves, for it is written in the Bible, God will repay. We have all asked God at one time or another why the devil keeps getting away with all he does to us and our loved ones. But one day, at the time of God’s choosing, all the evil will come to an end when the devil is cast into the Lake of Fire.
While for now it seems that evil goes unpunished, God is just waiting for the right time. H will bring judgment, it will not tarry forever. Until then, the LORD is being patient, waiting for people to repent. God gets no pleasure in the death of sinners. That’s why He provided the sacrifice of Jesus to give payment of our sins. And when the fullest number possible has been won to the Lord Jesus, He will return to earth to begin His 1000 year reign. During that time Satan will be bound and unable to afflict anyone. After that, he must be loosed for a short time, and during that time the devil will stir people all over the world to destroy Israel. But before he can accomplish that, the LORD will take him and cast him alive into the Lake of Fire. Finally, justice is served and the accuser of the brethren is silenced forever. Once and for all, the devil is out of our way forever, and we will see it! And in that day we will rejoice before the LORD, knowing all that hurts, divides, and causes pain is now gone forever. It will be a glorious day for God’s children.  

9. Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the Most High, thy habitation:

Most all of the promises of God are conditional, that is to say, if you will do this, God will do that. The LORD has always been the one who has initiated every covenant with mankind, and God never breaks His covenant. However, all through history we have seen how man breaks his word. Man always seems to look for a way to get out of his promises, while God goes out of His way to look for someone He can keep His covenant with. Because God values His word above His name, we can trust Him to do all He says He will do. According to Isaiah 55:11, “So shall be the word that goeth forth out of my mouth, it shall not return to me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.” I wanted to use that verse to set the stage for this verse as well as the ones which follow, to emphasize the absolute immutability of God’s word.
Every promise in the Bible is based on the solid foundation of God’s inability to lie or break His word. Where could God go to hide from His words? He fills the entire creation. Everywhere God looks, He sees the results of what He has said. Everywhere but the earth, that is. You see, God gave mankind dominion over all the earth, and gave his words the power to change his world. And then Adam and Eve sold their dominion to the devil, or rather gave it away. Since that time, the devil has used man’s words to accomplish his will in the earth, and that is why you see so much suffering and destruction in the world.
Only after Jesus came to earth in the form of a man and died on the cross to redeem all mankind from the devil, was dominion finally given back to mankind. And that is only to those who ask Jesus to be their Lord and Savior. Man’s words have always been full of destruction ever since Adam sinned. Now, once again, we the people of God can see our words carry weight. God has said because thou, that’s you , have used your words to make the Lord, which is my refuge, even the Most High, thy habitation,

10. There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.

Do you see the power of covenant at work here? Because you have chosen in your heart and by your words, to make the LORD GOD your habitation, that is, your dwelling place, He will keep the devil off your back, out of your house, out of your way. He will rebuke the devourer for your sake. God declares, putting His word above His name, swearing by Himself, since there is no greater that He will deliver you from every destruction the devil is trying to pull on you. He will thwart every evil device against you, He will keep the devil from destroying your goods, your life, your family, and all you own.
Furthermore, God gives His angels charge to watch over you. He goes on to say that NO evil will befall thee. Not just very many evils, but NONE! Zero! Zip! Nada! So that means the secret place of the Most High is absolutely untouchable by Satan, and anyone who will dwell there is safe from all evil. The devil not only can’t touch you there, he can’t even come close to your dwelling. If you’re in Christ Jesus you can pitch your alarm system. God’s got a better security system!
Because God is Holy, and you are in Him, and He is in you, that means wherever you are, God is. And wherever God is, evil cannot come into His presence, so the devil can’t come around you either. That is, unless you come out of your habitation. But you won’t do that, knowing the devil is laying traps all around you to get you, should you step out even for a second. And in case you slip up, there’s another safeguard; the angels. They are all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister, that is to serve for them who shall be heirs of salvation. They are your rear guard, to protect you and watch over you, even when you are asleep. So you can rest easy.

11. For He shall give His angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.

When Jesus was in the wilderness being tested for forty days, after being tempted, the angels came and ministered unto Him. They came and encouraged Jesus and likely reminded Him of the purpose the Father had put before Him, strengthening Him to live sinless, so as to be the Captain of our salvation. It is noteworthy to see the devil tried to tempt Jesus to make use of the angels charged with His safety. It was also a ploy of the devil to try to get Jesus to act pridefully and say, “Yes, I’m the Son of God, and I’ll prove it by casting myself off this pinnacle and the angels will rescue me. Watch this.” But instead Jesus said, “You shall not tempt the LORD thy God.” By doing that, He did not tempt the LORD, nor identify Himself as the Son of God. He did not argue the statement the devil made about the angels having a charge from God to protect us. Satan knew what the angels are assigned to do, after all, he spent a long time in the very presence of God as a covering Cherub over the Throne of God. The devil is well aware of the angels who are around us to minister for the heirs of salvation. They await the word of God to send them. Whether we, the believers have authority to order them about is not the issue here. The issue is that they are there to help make sure we reach our destination, which is salvation. They are a hedge between us and the devil, a first line of defense against the powers of darkness assigned to destroy us.
I’m sure each one of us can testify of times where we have been delivered from harm or death by unexplainable circumstances, such as a hand from nowhere pushing us out of harm’s way. Isn’t it wonderful to know that God is taking care of us even by means we cannot see?

12. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.

See, God even wants to deliver you from hurt feet. The day before leaving on my second trip to Africa, I was walking down the stairs in stocking feet. Somehow my foot slipped inside my sock, and I went flying down the stairs. When I landed at the bottom, I had jammed several toes and hit a rib real hard on the Newell post, and I was stunned and sore. But I just as easily could have been killed if not for the grace of God. At the time I wondered of my angels had been on vacation somewhere because I didn’t feel like they had done their job. But later, I thanked God that I had been spared severe, even potentially paralyzing injury or death. A few sore toes were a small price to pay for the stupidity of walking down a stairs in stocking feet. I am constantly amazed of all God does for us to make sure we survive long enough to make it to old age.
We surely try to make it hard for our angels to keep up with us as we drive well over the speed limit down the highway. I’ve heard people say “Never drive faster than you angels can fly.” How fast is that? I don’t know, and I don’t intend to find out, either. But they were with me on a real bumpy flight over the Atlantic when everyone thought the plane would certainly break apart, including me. We made it safely to London and I’m sure it was with the help of angels. Some people get into the worship of angels, but the angels won’t accept worship. They say, “Don’t do that. Worship God. I am your fellow servant.”
Do you know God loves you more than He loves the angels? To which of them did God send a Savior to save them from hell? But yet, Jesus gave Himself to save us! Now, that’s love.

13. Thou shalt tread upon the lion and the adder; the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.

God must be pretty sure of Himself saying He will take care of us as we take on the fierce spirits of darkness. The lion is the King of the jungle, and the adder is the deadliest of snakes. They bite you, you’re history. Yet, that’s not a threat to God’s people. God says they can’t hurt you as long as you are abiding in Him. What if you’re not abiding in Him? Any volunteers to find out? Hey, I’m not stupid. I know lions and adders are not pleasant company, especially when they are hungry. But God says not to worry. Even the young, strongest, meanest lion is no match for a child of God. Remember Daniel in the lion’s den? Is God talking about a lion of the jungle here? I believe yes, if the situation presented itself. However, He is speaking of the fierce, powerful, relentless powers of evil bent on destroying you. Not even the most powerful serpent himself, Satan, can touch you as you abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
What happens if he tries? Psalm 23 tells a little about that. “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.” I believe God uses the staff in one hand to gently guide and direct you, while He holds the rod in the other hand to thump the devil a good one when he sticks his nose in too close to you. God says even the meanest spirit you can imagine is under your feet, that is, subject to your authority. But remember, your words can bind them from attacking you, or loose them to hurt you by what you say. When you keep your words in line with God’s words, you keep yourself dwelling in the secret place of the Most High, under His wings, and His truth shall be your shield and buckler.

14. Because he hath set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known My name.

This clearly shows a change in who is speaking in verse 9 so it is surely the heavenly Father speaking to both David and Jesus. Or in this case, you and Jesus. Because Jesus always gave glory to His Father in all He did, the Father showed up here to confirm Jesus’ words. I like this verse a lot. Because David (or YOU) had set his love upon the Father, He would personally see to it that David (YOU) would be delivered out of every snare of the devil. And not only deliver him (YOU) from all his enemies all around, but actually honor David (YOU) and show him favor.
When Saul was pursuing David to kill him, David honored the heavenly Father by refusing to hurt Saul, even when it was in his power to do so. Of course, shortly after that, Saul was killed in battle because he had been disobedient to God several times. Through all of Saul’s disobedience, David still held him in honor by refusing to speak evil of God’s anointed. And that showed David’s heart to honor God. Because David honored God above all else, the LORD kept him not only safe from his enemies, but exalted him with honor and riches and material goods. Even when David sinned with Bathsheba and had her husband Uriah killed, the Father’s great love was still upon him, convicting his heart of sin till he repented. And when he repented he was forgiven and restored to his place of righteousness with God. When we set our love upon the Father, we shall never be greatly removed, no matter what the devil sets in array against us. The storms of life may howl and rage, and take out everything all around. Yet the one who trusts in the Father shall stand victorious. God will set him (you) on high, a place untouchable by trouble. He loves those who seek Him with their whole heart, who know His name, who trust in Him.

15. He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honor him.

The first thing here the LORD wants us to know is that He hears those who call upon Him, that He is not like gods of wood or stone that do not see or hear. He not only hears, but answers! Yes, we will have our troubles, and Jesus said in the world you will have trouble, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. What a joy to know that whatever happens, we who call upon the LORD are never alone. The LORD Himself will be with us and for us. What have we to fear, knowing that Almighty God is beside us, willing to use His unlimited power in our behalf to deliver us from all evil?
The LORD repeated Himself here to emphasize His promise to be our Deliverer. When God says something twice, we really need to pay attention. How can we allow a spirit of fear to work in us and keep us beat down, when the Holy Spirit, the Greater One, lives in us? If God be for us, who can be against us? Again her, God said He would honor, or set on high, those who trust in Him. Now there’s a big difference between saying we trust God, and living like it. Living like it means we give God honor by giving Him a tithe of all our increase. It is saying to God, I honor You above my own needs. It means reminding God that He is your Healer when sickness comes to call, instead of running to the doctor. It’s easy to tell people you trust God. But the proof is in the living. It doesn’t take long to find out who a person is trusting. Just listen to their words. A person who trusts God is quick to give Him glory for every victory in their life. The person who trusts in the world gives no glory to God for anything, but rather takes credit for their own abilities and achievment. I live my life knowing God is in control and will work out all things for my good because He loves me. No matter what, as long as we trust in the LORD we will never lose. How do I know that? I read the back of the Bible! We win!

16. With long life will I satisfy him, and show him My salvation.

And that’s how the Father ends this conversation, on the upbeat. He will satisfy us with long life here on earth. Not a short one. He will forever be our Savior, our Healer, keeping us in good health and joyful spirit. He will forever be our Provider, taking care of our every need, just like the wonderful Father that He is to us. He will forever be our Protector and Deliverer from all the evil the devil throws at us. He will long be the One who blesses us, to show us how to prosper and get wealth. Some will argue with me on the “prosper and get wealth” part. To them I say, “Read the Book.” If He delights in the prosperity of His servants, how much more does He delight in the prosperity of His children? He will long be the lamp unto our feet to guide our path as we walk with Him.
He delights in spending time with us, speaking to our heart and telling us every day how very much He loves us. Each new day brings a fresh start, of hope and joy and wonderful fellowship with the Father. Every day He engages us in conversation, speaking His great love and promises to our heart. He listens with great joy to our worship and adoration of Him, hearing every prayer. He is acutely aware of everything that has to do with us. Nothing escapes His watchful eye. As it is written, not a sparrow falls to the ground without His knowledge. His presence never leaves us. For that I am most thankful.
How long will we be here? Perhaps 80 or 100 years? They are but a short time, a vapor. But as long as we put our trust in God, He says He will satisfy us. What is satisfied? That’s when you don’t lack for anything you need, when you can look all around and be happy with your lot in life. We have so very much to be thankful for, all things considered. And when we reach the place at the end of a long life where we’re satisfied, then He will show us His salvation, and we will go to be with the LORD forever!
If there’s anything you need that isn’t covered in this Psalm, I don’t know what it could be. God has you covered every way, everywhere, every time, forever!