PSALM 91
Psalm 91:1
The 911 of the Bible in Psalms…
Portions of this Outline and Excerpts expounded upon from the Bible, and the Book “Psalm 91 God’s Umbrella of Protection” by Peggy Joyce Ruth, Aug 2004
This is a great Psalm concerning who we are to go to in an emergency.
Using the Bible...English Revised Version
1 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
Where is my dwelling place?
Knowing you are sheltered and protected from the storm by God! A literal place of physical safety and security by God. We dwell in HIS shelter by believing that HE is a literal place of refuge where we can physically be protected when we are willing to run to HIM.
2 I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in whom I trust.
What am I saying?
It’s not enough to think it. We must learn to verbalize our trust out loud. Say it…God/LORD, You are my Refuge. You are my Fortress. You are my LORD and my GOD. It is in YOU that I put my total trust. The more we say it…the more confident we are in it. Voicing HIS Lordship and Protection opens the door to the secret place. Surrendering – we can not do it ourselves. HE is the Only One who has an answer for whatever might come.
3 For he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.
Deliverance by Man is in vain.
2 Corinthians 10:4-5 says…
“For the weapons of our warfare are not physical [weapons of flesh and blood], but they are mighty before God for the overthrow and destruction of strongholds,
[Inasmuch as we] refute arguments and theories and reasonings and every proud and lofty thing that sets itself up against the [true] knowledge of God; and we lead every thought and purpose away captive into the obedience of Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One),”
We can not deliver ourselves. It is HE who delivers you. Delivered from temptation. Delivered from harm.
The ‘baited snare’= temptation. Pestilence=evil/harm
This is two fold deliverance
4 He shall cover thee with his pinions, and under his wings shalt thou take refuge: his truth is a shield and a buckler.
a. Under His Wings! You may seek refuge. Shall or Shall not. It’s a choice where we may or may not take refuge under HIS wings.
b. A Mighty fortress – Faithfulness/truth, shield and buckler.
My faith is in stone - I believe in truth – HIS truth is my shield
5 Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night, nor for the arrow that flieth by day;
a. I will not fear the Terror! Vs. 5 and 6 cover every evil known to man.
Terror by Night!
1 Timothy 5:1-5
Exodus 23:25
2 Corinthians 5:7
b. I will not fear the Arrow!
Arrow by Day!
An Arrow pierces or wounds. Spiritually/physically/mentally/emotionally
Includes spiritual warfare. Aimed at the spot to cause most damage. Attacks where we are struggling
Ephesians 6:12
6 For the pestilence that walketh in darkness, nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.
a. I will not fear Pestilence
a. Pestilence=Sickness and disease – Named two times (see vs. 3)
b. We do not have to be afraid of sickness and disease that are epidemic in the world.
c. Faith is not a feeling. Faith is CHOOSING to believe what God says in HIS WORD.
d. Mark 13:31
e. Deuteronomy 28 spells out pestilence
f. Galations 3:13 – we are redeemed from every cause (pestilence) if we just believe and appropriate the promise.
g. Bible diseases – Leprosy. Compare with AIDS, Cancer and Heart Disease.
h. No matter what pestilence we are facing, HIS promise remains true.
i. Now matter what - Stand firm on the promises
j. Do not allow your mind to give in.
k. “A thousand fall at my side, 10,000 at my right hand, it will not come near me”
l. Give it to the LORD, Run to HIS Shelter
b. I will not fear the Destruction
a. Destruction=evil which mankind has no control over
b. “Acts of God – tornadoes, flood, fire, car wrecks” from and ‘insurance policy’ These do not come from GOD. Natural disasters do not come from GOD.
c. How can I say that?
i. Mark 4:39 – Jesus rebuked the storm
ii. God is not the author of these things…the storm…because JESUS would not contradict the FATHER!
Every Evil known to man will fall into 1 of these 4 categories
1. Terror by night
2. Arrows
3. Pestilence
4. Destruction
God offered us Deliverance from them all even before we had chance to ask.
You will not be afraid…because I have said in my Word “it will not approach you”
IF…IF you are obedient to vs. 1 & 2.
To dwell in My shelter and abide in my shadow. We can only do so by the shed blood of the cross through Jesus Christ.
Faith is not a tool to get/manipulate God into giving you something you want.
Faith is the means by which we accept what God has already made available.
Renew our minds. Faith in God’s word – not in what we see.
7 A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.
Though 1,000 fall
Do you trust this literally? Luke 4:27 – Leprosy – Only Naaman was healed when he OBEYED in faith. Read story of Naaman 2 Kings 5:1-15 (future sermon about obedience and faith)
Stand firm – even though around you many fall – it will not approach you “come nigh thee”…if…IF you choose to believe and trust completely
Psalm 91 is preventative measure God has given to HIS children against every extreme evil known to mankind
Not just the cure/total prevention
Matthew 5:18 – every portion of God’s word and promises stand.
8 Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold, and see the reward of the wicked.
Trusting and Believing in order to See
You will only see it if you have believed and trusted. Not SEEING is believing.
Any unbelief is wicked/we must receive all of God’s Word.
9 For thou, O LORD, art my refuge! thou hast made the Most High thy habitation;
Total belief…Total trust…Total refuge
10 There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy tent.
No Plague comes near my family
No evil will befall you, nor come near your household KJV
Not only myself…but also my household
Lookup Joshua 24:15, Psalms 112:7
11 For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.
Angels Watching Over ME!
Satan used this to test Jesus Matthew 4:5-6
God’s Bodyguards – soldiers, watchmen
12 They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.
The enemy under my feet!
This is the Transition from being protected BY HIM to giving us authority in HIS NAME.
13 Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the serpent shalt thou trample under feet.
Lion Problems – Loud, bold, forthright problems. Come out in the open and hit us right in the face.
Young Lions – can grow up into ‘full grown’ problems if we don’t handle them. They harass and destroy
Adder/Cobra/Snake problems – Sneak up like snakes in the grass. Undercover attack. Puncture wounds with fangs. No one sees the poison travel through the body
Dragon/Serpent/Sea monster problems – Unfounded fears – figment of imaginations are as deadly as reality fears.
Proverbs 28:1 wicked flee when no one is pursuing
Fear of clowns, dark, vampires, dolls, shadows…Imaginary fears
God says we will tread on all the powers of the enemy no matter whether loud and bold, sneaky & deceptive, or imaginary fears. God has given us authority over all.
14 Because he hath set his love upon ME, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known MY NAME.
15 He shall 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 shew him my salvation.
Because I love him…Vs. 14 through 16 are Seven promises for those who love HIM, GOD.
7=Hebrew number for completion.
John 21:15 says Do you Love ME?
John 14:15 says If you Love ME, you will Obey ME.
In these verses 14-16, God is speaking directly to us.
1. God is my deliverer – (lion, cobra, dragon, terror, arrows, pestilence, destruction)
2. Seated with Christ Jesus – Set on High
a. Ephesians 1:20-21, 2:6
b. Known my name…Acts 4:12
3. God answers my call
a. 1 John 5:14-15
b. Romans 10:11
4. God rescues me from trouble!
a. Isaiah 43:2
b. Be with and deliver
5. God honors me!
a. i.e. Man of the year!, Employee of the month!, but in GOD’s terms
b. Gives us honor
6. God satisfies me with long life
7. I behold HIS salvation (Behold in KJV)
a. Behold – see and take hold of…
b. Salvation means – health, healing, deliverance, protection and provision. Salvation comes only through Christ Jesus. “By His Stripes We are Healed”
c. Intercession and using our spiritual authority in Jesus’ Name are two of the ways to take hold of salvation
People read Psalm 91 but do not take hold of it. They see it, but do not ‘behold’ it.
Psalm 91 is a covenant, a promise, that God has made available to His children.
God’s promises can be relied upon
We must believe them and refuse to waiver
Decide to make His Word our final authority for every area of our life
Luke 24:44 Then He (Jesus) said to them, “These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.”
The world’s distress call is the number 911
God’s answer to our distress call is Psalm 91:1 – the 911 of the bible.
