“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the LORD, ‘My refuge and my fortress, my God, in Whom I trust.'” Psalm 91:1,2
Devotional Thought For The Day
The verses that follow detail the promises of God to His dearly beloved children of faith, and the trust, confidence, and comfort that His dear people derive from His promises. This is a most beautiful psalm of faith and has been set to music many times. It is also the psalm that the devil quoted to Jesus when He was being tempted in the wilderness. We’ll get to that verse in a couple of weeks – but we can understand why he would be interested in corrupting and perverting this psalm, and he does the same to this day, sticking all of our troubles and problems into our faces and demanding an answer as to just how God is protecting us and as to why we would continue trusting in Him when we have so many woes. Yes, the psalm asserts the wondrous love and goodness of God and the devil continues to assert lies and slander against God, denying that He is love. Sadly, there are few who know and believe God’s love for us and many that pule and rail against God in unbelief. Lord, have mercy!
We too struggle to simply dwell and abide in the shadow of the Almighty, resting ourselves fully and completely in His love and protection. Like Peter, we are distracted by the wind and the waves in life, and begin to doubt – even though in reality we are well cared for and safe. Troubles, injuries, illnesses, aging, and the threat of failures and death are dizzying and disorienting – for we are not in control of these things. We mistakenly think that if we are not in control of these things then God has failed us – but we never are in control of the most important issues of our being, only and always God is. The psalmist will make clear that the shelter, refuge, and fortress that God provides for us is not an absence of difficulties, trials, and fearful challenges, but rather continues as we pass through all of these things. We may not like this – preferring to dream of and wishing for the peace and perfection of the original creation, and that promised in the coming kingdom – but the reality of God’s protection and His faithfulness in working all things together for our greatest blessedness is a most wondrous blessing. Most importantly, the process of passing through difficulties and grave dangers increases our faith and trust in God and our thankfulness to God, and our praising and glorifying of Him. It is also a great adventure, a brave party and dance through life – thanks be to God!
This is what it means to have God – to trust in Him and not in ourselves. What we trust in is our God, and when we trust in ourselves we have ourselves as our “god.” This was Eve’s first misstep, and also Adam’s. This perverse confusion is an incorrigible infection of our sinful nature. It is put to death through repentance – confessing our idolatry to God, receiving His gracious forgiveness and mercy in Christ Jesus, His free gift of love and salvation, so that we once again trust in Him and not in ourselves. Through this reality and assurance of His gracious love we grow in faith, so that with the psalmist we make God our refuge and strength, we trust in Him, and have Him as our God. The unbelieving can’t conceive of the blessedness this brings – but with the psalmist we rejoice to sing of God’s wondrous love even in the midst of great perils and tragedies. There is always more of this singing to come for believers, in the coming days, weeks, months, years, and for eternity in God’s heavenly kingdom!
Prayer For The Day
Dear Heavenly Father, thanks and praise be to You for providing us with refuge and safety in the fortress of Your love. Strengthen us in our faith and trust in You, that at all times we have You as our fortress, strength, and God. May we sing Your praise at all times, even when the darkness seems to be closing in all around us. Amen.