Psalm 91: A testimony of Trust — An untitled psalm placed in counterpoint to the previous psalm (Psalm 90), a hymn testifying to the goodness of the Lord, in whom many have put their trust. It sings words full of assurance that the Lord is good and is the foundation of His people, those who call upon His name. Salvation and faithfulness are the words of this psalm, for no less is the Lord God that the faithful Saviour of His people, who love Him and praise Him. May these words be a reality for You as You seek Him to be Your dwelling place.

1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”

Words cannot show how grateful I am, O Lord, my God in whom I trust. I am hidden in Your awesome presence, I dwell in Your house, Your shelter, my refuge and my fortress. This world, within which I live, cannot be my dwelling place for in its own struggles and strife, I cannot find refuge. You alone, in the shadow of the Almighty, may I completely rely, firm and unshaken, to be my foundation and my dwelling place.

3 Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. 4 He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. 5 You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, 6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. 7 A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. 8 You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked.

In our times of trouble, O God, You reach out Your hand and save us from strife. Though, at times, it seems an eternity, You have been, always are, and forever will be there with us and will never left our side. Surely, surely, we can trust in the Lord God our Saviour. You stand with us and You watch over us, upon Your faithfulness we stand tall and firm, for You are our shield. If it were not for Your faithfulness, my heart would be pierced with fear, the arrows of doubt, pain, tribulation would haunt me, yet You are my shield and I shall stand and face those flaming arrows without hesitation, for You, O Lord, are my strength and my shield. No matter the substance, no matter the source, the darkness and the evil shall not prevail. They shall gain no foothold in my heart, for in You alone shall I place my trust, in You alone shall I stand. Though the world around me comes crashing down, my trust in You is not in vain. You have protected me so here I stand proclaiming the greatness of my God. I see the terror that has struck the world around me, I witness and testify to their pain and destruction; I am a survivor of such events because my God is my protector and saviour.

9 If you make the Most High your dwelling — even the LORD, who is my refuge — 10 then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent. 11 For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; 12 they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. 13 You will tread upon the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent.

Let me plead with you, my friends, make the Most High your dwelling, your shelter and your place of rest. He is One who is trustworthy, place your trust in Him, place your life in His hands, let Him be your God and see that He is good. For He will protect you, He will keep you and deliver you in the times of trouble, He is faithful and His faithfulness shall be your shield. The angels of heaven, servants of the Most High, shall be your guard, to watch over you as you walk through this world. My Lord and my God will not allow pain and destruction to strike you as it has the world, for the Lord God cares for you and watches over you. His strength will be with you, no beast or predator will overcome you, rather you shall walk over them as flat ground. For the Lord has subdued your enemies and He is your strength.

14 “Because he loves me,” says the LORD, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. 15 He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honour him. 16 With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation.”

The Lord Himself declares that He will be by your side and watch over you; for you have declared to all and acknowledged before the people, “The LORD I love is my God.” If you call on Him, He will answer you; He will be there in your time of trouble, He will deliver you and He will honour you — for you, you who have called upon His name, have acknowledged His holy name, thus you will He honour. He will bless you with life and be your satisfaction, for He has saved you from the troubles and destruction of this world, He is your Saviour God, on Him you can stand. The Lord God is your delight and in Him, you will find peace.

Prayer — To the Most High God, worthy of all praise, for all eternity may Your praises be heard through all the earth. The LORD abounding in love and mercy, full of power and glory, grace never-ending — praise be to the LORD. Lord God teach us this day to find our dwelling place, a dwelling place in the shelter of the Most High, in the shadow of the Almighty, teach us this day to set our hearts on You — that we might declare Your praise. Protect us and watch over us, send Your angels to stand by our sides, that we may not fall to the struggles and strife faced in this world. Let our enemies see that our Saviour God is our shield, Your faithfulness gives our feet a foundation upon which to stand, no weapon and no trap shall befall us. Today, Lord God, we acknowledge You, we acknowledge that we love You, we call upon You, Lord God Almighty; so answer us this day, rescue us in our day of trouble, protect us from our enemies, stand with us and honour us as we have honoured You. Let us know true satisfaction and joy, such that comes only from dwelling is Your presence, in the presence of the Most High God. Amen.