Psalm 91:3-6

The Devil’s first words were a question. Hath God said? Is it worth risking it? What says we can trust His word? What if it’s better to take what looks best in case He’s wrong? Surely we can take and eat this and we won’t die, but rather have a better life than even now.

And today his whispers still float through our minds whenever God shows us the path He wants us to tread. Is it safe to go down that path? There’s a lot of danger. And surely He doesn’t want me to get hurt. Surely my way is best considering the circumstances.

Let’s read Psalm 91:3-6 to see what God says about surety.

Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler,
And from the noisome pestilence.
He shall cover thee with his feathers,
And under his wings shalt thou trust:
His truth shall be thy shield and buckler.
Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night;
Nor for the arrow that flieth by day;
Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness;
Nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.

That first word is this time a comfort: Surely. It’s a certain thing. There’s no way that it won’t be. God is here for you. You’re looking down the path and you see problems. Guess what? God sees them, but He also sees potential. You see obstacles. He sees the way to overcome them. You see something frightful, but He sees love that casts out fear. You see the unsteady change your world will become, but He sees you learning to rest in His constancy.

He knoweth our frame, and remembereth that we are dust. [Psalm 103:14]
He knoweth what things ye have need of before ye ask it of Him. [Matthew 6:8]
He shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. [Phil 4:19]

Go back and read those verses again and marvel! Why have we ever doubted Him when we have such promises to rest upon?

Bird Language

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been fascinated with birds. I even learned to bird-whistle so I could have ‘conversations’ with cardinals! Someone once told me I should do a word study on all the times birds are mentioned in the Bible. A teacher then told me that God uses the mother bird as a picture of Himself, and pointed me to Psalm 91: 

He shall cover thee with his feathers,
And under his wings shalt thou trust:
His truth shall be thy shield and buckler. [Psalm 91:4]

When I was little, my family had a few chickens. One of the hens kept her eggs, pecking us if we got near her and her nest. After a while, the eggs hatched, and we watched her parade them around the yard as proud as a peacock. But whenever it would start to rain, or one of us kids came running, or the neighbor’s dogs would start barking, she’d open her wings and make a special call, and all her chicks would run to shelter under her wings. The chicks never hesitated to run to her when she told them there was danger. In fact, I believe they would have gone even if she called without any danger to be seen, just because they loved being there under her wings so much. 

God has His arms open for us, always ready to hold us in the warm safety of His will. He will never waver, and His shelter will never not be enough. Do we jump at the chance to run to Christ? To bask in the warmth and safety that is only found in Him? Or would we rather brave the storms of life alone?

Sometimes it’s easy to look at life and the fear of death, fear of man, fear of self, or fear of ‘fear itself’, and choose the way that seems right to us. [Proverbs 14:12] 

But what does God say?
[F]ear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear Him which is able to destroy both soul and body in Hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? And not one of them shall fall on the ground without your Father [knowing]. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows. [Matthew 10:28-31]

The only One we should fear is God. Nobody and nothing else is worth fearing. And although we fear God, we can also safely trust Him.

Have you fallen ill? Trust in God. He’s the Great Physician and can cure all diseases or pains this broken world can offer.
Is there a trap set for you? Trust in God. He’s carried you over and through more snares than you even know about.
Do people’s false words fall harshly like poisoned arrows? Trust in God. He is the Truth and will always prevail.
Is there spiritual darkness swallowing you up? Trust in God, and raise the dawn chorus! He is your Sun and Shield and withholds no good thing from His children.

It’s not a question of if He’ll get there in time to help, or if His plan will work out. It’s a question of trust. He’s going to deliver you. Are you dwelling in that promise or in the tangled web of ropes the fowler’s set for you? Trust in Him. Let His truth be your shield. He will surely deliver you.

I’ll see you along the Way!