The Security Of Trusting God

Today we are going to look at a few verses from Psalm 91, and we are going to go through it a bit at a time so that we can see a reason to trust in God, and we are going to use one person’s point of view of why he sees the security of trusting God.

Many have noted the wonderful character of this psalm, as noted by someone who had great troubles in life and found solace in its verses: This psalm is one of the greatest possessions of saints. Another person noted that “In the whole collection there is not a more cheering Psalm, its tone is elevated and sustained throughout, faith is at its best, and speaks nobly.”

This psalm has no title, and therefore the author remains unknown. Because it shares some of the themes of Psalm 90, some think Moses was the author. Because it shares some of the themes and phrases of Psalm 27 and Psalm 31, some think the author was David. Some of its language, of strongholds and shields, reminds us of David, to whom another translation ascribes it; other phrases echo the Song of Moses in Deuteronomy 32, as did Psalm 90; but it is in fact anonymous, and we can look at this anonymity as another reason to trust in the security of God, because the author did not deem it necessary to put their name behind it when it speaks for itself.

Typically, when trying to present a case for something you want to have two or three witnesses or cases in point. But what if you pick one person, who for most of his life has gone through some stuff, major stuff, and then at the end came out sitting pretty. I would see that they were witness enough. Well, that person is King David.

David was the youngest of eight sons, and as the Bible first takes notice of him, we find that the current king of Israel, Saul, was doing battle with the Philistines. David’s three eldest brothers were taking part in the war, and so David’s father asked him to take some food to them. When he arrived at the battlefield he saw one large Philistine soldier, named Goliath, in the middle of the field yelling obscenities at the Israel army, and David saw that Israel was afraid of this one man. David, a child among men asked this bold question, “What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?” King Saul heard of this boldness of David and requested to see him. At this point David requests to join the army, but Saul says he is too young, but David told him of his experience in killing lions, bears, and other wild animals; and to top it off, he said that Goliath would be no different. With total faith in God to deliver the nation he gathers a few rocks and with one blow from his slingshot killed Goliath. This is what David said to Goliath before he killed him.

Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you.

And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. Then all this assembly shall know that the Lord does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord’s, and He will give you into our hands.”

1 Samuel 17:45-47

You can say some bold things when you have the security of trust in God. Now that was one of the great experiences, because from then on things got tough for David.

• David was anointed king, at God’s request by the Samuel, this while Saul was still seated on the throne.

• He had to flee from Saul's persecution and lived as an outlaw for several years, because Saul did not want to hand over the kingdom.

• He moved his capital to Jerusalem and brought the Ark of the Covenant there, and in so doing caused a man to die when he touched the Ark, and when he arrived his wife was ashamed of him because he danced and sang while bringing the Ark into the city.

• He committed adultery with Bathsheba and arranged the murder of her husband to cover up the fact that she was now pregnant.