Psalm 91 (Passion Translation)

Whoever lives within the secret shadow of Shaddi, hidden in the strength of God Most High,
will always be kept safe and feel secure!
Here's how I describe Him:
He's the Hope that holds me, and the Stronghold to shelter me,
The only God for me, and my Great Confidence.

Yes He will rescue you from every hidden trap of the enemy,
and He will protect you from false accusation and any deadly curse.
His massive arms are wrapped around you, protecting you.
You can run under His covering of majesty and hide.
His faithfulness is a wrap- around shield keeping you from harm.

You will never worry about an attack of demonic forces at night,
not have to fear a spirit of darkness coming against you.
Don't fear a thing! Whether by night or by day, demonic danger will not trouble you, nor the powers of evil launched against you.
For God will keep you safe and secure, they won't lay a hand on you!

Even in a time of disaster with thousands and thousands being killed,
you will remain unscathed and unharmed!
You will be a spectator as the wicked perish in judgment,
for you will still be kept safe and secure!
When we live our lives within the shadow of the God Most High,
our Secret Hiding Place, we will always be shielded from harm!
How then could evil prevail against us, or disease infect us?

God will send His messengers- angels with special orders to protect you wherever you go,
defending you from all harm.
If you walk into a trap, they'll be there for you and keep you from stumbling!
You'll even walk unharmed among the fiercest powers of darkness,
trampling every one of them beneath your feet!

For here is what the Lord has spoken to me:
"Because you have chosen to be My great lover, I have chosen to greatly protect you.
I will set you in a high place, safe and secure before My face.
I will answer your cry for help every time you pray, and you will find and feel My presence,
even in your time of pressure and trouble.
I will be Your glorious Hero and give you success!
You will be satisfied with a full life, and with all that I do for you!
For you will feast your eyes on the fullness of My salvation, drinking deeply of me!"

FEELING OPPRESSED?

See this month's editorial on the HOME page for reflections on this psalm, some 'tools of warfare', and other resources.

THE POWER OF PRAISE

Not only is the Lord our strong fortress of protection, He has also given us various weapons to use against any evil onslaught. (See Home page.)

The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world.
On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.
[2 Corinthians 10:4]

One of those powerful tools is praise. Read the account of Jehosaphat's defeat of Moab and Ammon, noting that the King's first response to the threat was to 'turn his eyes on the Lord' and offer the situation to Him; and then it was to face his enemies with a heart full of praise.

'Give thanks to the Lord,
for his love endures for ever.’

As they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated.
[2 Chronicles 20:21, 22]

Why not take some time right now to follow Jephosephat's example. Turn your heart towards the Lord, lay all your concerns before Him, then begin to thank Him for all His blessings. We live in a fallen world where bad stuff happens, but God is good all the time, continually showers us with blessings, and promises never to leave us or forsake us [Hebrews 13:5]. We are told He is enthroned on, or inhabits the praises of His people [Psalm 22:3 NASB]; where He is enthroned anything can happen!

You can read more about the power of thanksgiving in CHOOSING GRATITUDE.

In addition, the Bread for the Journey Blog post Free from Fear contributes to this theme, as well as the podcast listed below.

A note on resources:

*RHYTHMS OF GRACE

RECEIVE His wonderful provision
Join with Bethel Church, Redding, as they pray through various aspects of this Psalm (*See resources note above).
Bethel Church Sermon of the Week - Psalm 91 - Bethel Podcasts

*For an explanation of how the term, ‘rhythms of grace’, is used on this website, see INTRODUCTION TO RHYTHMS OF GRACE: A JOURNEY INTO REST AND PEACE.

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Photo credit: Kevin Turcios (girl thinking); Smit Patel (person in quizzical pose) @ Unsplash, with thanks.]

PSALM 91 (PASSION TRANSLATION)