In God We Trust

IN GOD WE TRUST (PSALMS 91)

Internet quotes:

Trust God even when life doesn’t make sense (Billy Graham)

Thank God for what you have. Trust God for what you need.

Look back and thank God. Look forward and trust God.

Trust God despite how it looks.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. Prov 3:5-6

In God we trust; all others bring cash

In God we trust and for everything else we test!

Psalms is a book of trust. The verb “trust” (batach) occurs 120 times in the Bible, with 66 times in Psalms, second most recorded verb in Psalms other than 94 times the verb “praise” (halal). Merraim-Webster defines trust as “firm belief in the character, ability, strength, or truth of someone or something · a person or thing in which confidence is placed.” Brittanica says trust is “to believe that someone or something is reliable, good, honest, effective, etc. : to have confidence in (someone or something).” Cambridge Dictionary adds the contrast: “to believe that someone is good and honest and will not harm you.”

Who do you trust in this world? What are our other options? Why is our God more than trustworthy?

Be Given to His Greatness (1-2)

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."—

There was a large group of people. On one side of the group stood a man, Jesus. On the other side of the group stood Satan. Separating them, running through the group, was a fence. The scene set, both Jesus and Satan began calling to the people in the group and, one by one - each having made up his or her own mind - each went to either Jesus or Satan. This kept going. Soon enough, Jesus had gathered around him a group of people from the larger crowd, as did Satan.

But one man joined neither group. He climbed the fence that was there and sat on it. Then Jesus and his people left and disappeared. So too did Satan and his people. And the man on the fence sat alone. As this man sat, Satan came back, looking for something which he appeared to have lost. The man said, “Have you lost something?” Satan looked straight at him and replied, “No, there you are. Come with me.” “But”, said the man, “I sat on the fence. I chose neither you nor him.” “That’s okay,” said Satan. “I own the fence.”

Right off the bat, four synonymous nouns flood the text in verses 1-2 (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 “refugee” and my “fortress,” my God, in whom I trust). The nouns in verse 1 are slightly different from those in verse 2: the comforting “shelter” and “shadow” in verse 1, and the concrete “refuge” and “fortress” in verse 2.

V 1, Shelter, Shadow V 2, Refuge, Fortress

Personal Physical

Relational Rigid

Immaterial Immovable

The nouns “shelter” and “shadow” features the relational, immaterial and personal, while “refuge” and “fortress” are rigid, immovable and physical.

Four words are attributed to God: “Most High,” “Almighty,” “the Lord” and “my God.” Most High stresses His Superiority, Almighty His strength, the Lord His sovereignty, my God His Support. Second round of contrast: Most High emphasizes His preeminence, Almighty His power, the Lord His priority, my God His provision. Additional round of contrast: Most High for His majesty, Almighty His might, the Lord as master, my God as MVP.

V 1 Most High V 1 Almighty V 2 The Lord V 2 My God

Superiority Strength Sovereignty Support

Preeminence Power Priority Provision

Majestic Might Master MVP

The first main verb in the chapter, however, is not the participle “dwell,” but the main verb “rest/abide” (v 1). Rest is also translated as tarry (Gen 19:2), lodge (Gen 24:23), remain (Deut 21:23), continue (Job 17:2). Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance listing includes the translation of “rest” with “abide all night” and “lie all night,” while Brown-Driver-Briggs explain “rest/abide” as “pass the night,” “spending the night” and “remain all night.” This rest or “abide” in KJV is enduring, entire and everlasting. It means to be steadfast, staunch and strong – unfazed, unflinching and unflappable.

Verse 2 is a contrast of “my refuge” and “my fortress.” “Refuge” is for shelter while “fortress” is for strength. Refuge (v 2) did not appear in the Bible till the long-suffering Job’s situation (Job 24:8), but popularized in the Psalms. More than anyone, Job understood the soulful, serene, still, sacred and sufficient rest in God. Twelve of the 20 occurrences of “refuge” in the Bible are from the Psalms, of which Psalm 91 occurs the most (vv 2, 9). Fortress (v 2) occurs seven times in Psalms, but four of it with the addition of “rock.” Fortress and rock (fossils) imply strong, solid and secure.