Psalm 91:9-16
If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,” and you make the Most High your dwelling, no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. You will tread on the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent. “Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.” Psalm 91:9-16 (NIV)
Except for the New Testament when I paid particular attention to anything attributed directly to Jesus, I’d never really thought of the who or when or even why (beyond the obvious) in bible verses. Since I’ve begun writing these devotions, I’ve spent more time googling the background than I probably should admit. It’s been interesting and has given me a deeper understanding of how bible stories connect and intersect. Google is a particular friend when I’m reading the Psalms. Until this Psalm of course. Apparently, biblical scholars can’t agree who wrote it – David or Moses.* I’m not a biblical scholar and I could see this verse applying to both, so it makes sense there is some debate amongst people way smarter than me.
Which really didn’t help me get a handle on how to approach this devotion. Or so I thought. Then it occurred to me that the very fact that both David and Moses – two of the ‘biggies’ in the bible – could be credited makes this Psalm a very powerful verse indeed.
After all, if either one of them, men well known by God, could’ve written it, then maybe we should pay particular attention to what it says?
It seems simple – say the Lord is your refuge and no harm will overtake you.
Could it be that simple?
May I draw your attention to two small words – if … and:
If you say, “the Lord is my refuge, and you make the Most High your dwelling”
THEN “no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent.”
It’s easy to say I find refuge in the Lord. Not sure how I make the Most High my dwelling in the literal sense but I think it follows this could mean I dwell (def. remain for a time) with God on a daily basis. Okay – done and done.
But let’s be real, as a human it’s easy to say the Lord is my refuge and even to spend time with God daily. But it’s not always easy to remember this higher aspiration in the middle of the day-to-day grind. And I try – I’ve got a ‘fidget’ ring with the cross on it. I’ve even got a tattoo on my inner forearm with a cross on it. Yet too often I lose my resolve faster than you could say “the Lord is my refuge.”
Does that mean it’s “hopeless?” That I am beyond help?
Then I come to verse 14: “Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him, I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.”
Maybe it’s as simple as loving God with all my heart, my soul and all my mind and loving my neighbor as myself. And the best part? We don’t have to do this perfectly because God’s grace means all we need to do is try.
Questions for Reflection:
- How do I find refuge in God?
- When and how often do I “dwell” with God?
- In what ways can I remember God when I’m in the middle of a “situation”?
Prayer:
Thank you, Lord, for loving me unconditionally. Amen.
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