Psalm 91 - A Conditional Promise? Series

Psalm 91:1-16

Everyone has favourite verses or chapters of the Bible.

Words of promise, words of encouragement, others speak to us about God’s love and mercy towards us.

Life is filled with problems, some small and some great and Psalm 91 has been and continues to be a source of strength, hope, promise and encouragement.

A missionary said that her family would have literally lost their minds had it not been for the help and strength of the 91st Psalm.

Let’s read the Psalm together

Psalm 91

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.”

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.

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.

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 honor him.

16 With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation.

We all need a place to go to when we’re stressed or sad, tired or lonely, fearful or tempted, disappointed or discouraged - a place where we can unload our burdens and get some relief.

Psalm 91 is an expression of the child of God’s confidence in divine protection and deliverance.

When we feel insecure and inadequate we need a refuge - a shelter. We need a retreat.

Prayer can transport us to that place!

A young boy was telling the pastor that his mother said his prayers for him each night.

“What do you mean, your mother says your prayers for you?” the puzzled minister inquired. The boy replied, “When mom tucks me in she always says, “Thank God he’s in bed.”

Well that’s one way of utilizing prayer as a way to get away from it all, but there’s much more.

As with many passages and verses in the Bible, you cannot claim the promises unless you meet the requirements.

There are conditional and unconditional promises of God found in the Bible. Most promises that begin with the word “if” are conditional.

God promises to do something if we do something. There are some passages that are also limited to people who live a certain way. Romans chapter 8 is one such passage. If you live according to Rom.8:1 “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” then Romans 8 is yours.

Our text, Psalm 91 is another. If you live according to Psalm 91:1 then the psalm is yours.

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. Psalm 93:1 (NIV)

He that dwells in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. Psalm 93:1 (NKJV)

Notice the requirements of Psalm 91:1

“He that dwells” - not visits, not professes, not wishes, not rejects, Dwells.

Dwell means “abide”. to live or stay as a permanent resident; reside. to linger over, emphasize, or ponder in thought, speech, or writing

John 15:4 says “Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.”

We are to dwell in the place of refuge provided by God.

In the Hebrew the word is ????? (say’-ther) the word translated in the NIV as Shelter and the New King James translates the Hebrew as “secret place”.

In Hebrew the word ????? (say’-ther) literally means “a hiding place - to cover, to hide covertly or secretly”. In fact Psalm 32:7 it is translated as “hiding place” - “You are my hiding place: you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.”