If there is something people need in this dangerous time is assurance. When facing danger, people need to feel secure.

Thanks God, we know that we are in His safe hands.

We have security! A security that is not coming from science, government, or doctors.

Psa 91 bring us words of assurance that are very timely for the moment we live.

Read Psa 91

The main topic of this psalm is the security the Lord provides for the believer.

The security of the believer.

“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, My God in whom I trust!” 1-2

How comforting is to know that, no matter what happen (dangers, persecution, plagues, wars, diseases)…, we have a place of refuge and a fortress (mountain stronghold): our God!

The believer can say, “I am secure because I have trusted in the Lord.”

We are secure because we are...

Under the protection of the Most High.

“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High...” 1a

yashab: (habita) sit, remain sitting; dwell

seter: (abrigo) hiding place; covering, protection

When the Nazis were capturing the Jews to send them to gas chamber, many found a hiding place in the residence of the Ten Boon family. They felt loved and protected there.

Hospitality custom of those biblical lands was that when a person would receive someone in his house or tent, the host was responsible to protect his guest, even to the cost of his own life.

When the angels visited Lot, the Sodomites wanted to abuse them; but Lot was even willing to sacrifice his daughters in order to protect the visitors.

That’s the idea behind this portion of the verse! As long as we stay under the covering of the Most High we are safe and protected.

Under the care of the Almighty.

“will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.” 1b

yit-lo-nán: (abide) spend the night; lodge, dwell

sel: shadow. protection

All travelers would seek a safe place to spend the night, a place where there would be food for him and his camels.

Shaddai (Almighty, God of the mountain, my destroyer) is our “bodyguard”. The word Shaddai has also been used to describe how the arms of a mother nurse and protect her baby on her bosom.

♪Eres es mi protector, llenas mi corazón de cánticos de liberación; de angustia me guardarás.♪

We are secure in His shadow! Those who have visited the Middle East know how inclement the sun is there and the importance of having a shade. What is a shade? A shade is, in reality, the shadow produced by something (roof, a rock, a tree, a cloud) When the people of Israel wandered in the desert, God protected them by sending a cloud, so they could walk under its shade.

We are secure because:

We find deliverance in Him.

Deliverance from the snare of the trapper.

3a

In Spa. is translated as “lazo del cazador”, but the word literally refers to a bird trap. That’s exactly the same word the psalmist used in

Psalm 124:6–8 NASB95

Blessed be the Lord, Who has not given us to be torn by their teeth. Our soul has escaped as a bird out of the snare of the trapper; The snare is broken and we have escaped. Our help is in the name of the Lord, Who made heaven and earth.

We have a enemy that continually set traps trying to make us fall into them, but the Lord is who helps us to escape.

Deliverance from the pestilence.

“He delivers you... from the deadly pestilence.” 3b

“deadly”, refers to anything capable or likely to cause death.

In this case to describe the power of the pestilence.

The COVID-19 is a deadly pestilence: 56,977 dead in the US from 2/1 to 5/14 out of 1,384,930 cases.

Despite the large number of cases, only two members of our spiritual family have been infected and both have recovered!

Deliverance from the predator.

“He will cover you with His pinions and under His wings you may seek refuge.” 4

When the chicken see the shadow of the hawk, they run as fast as possible to hide under the wings of the hen. They hide there, they feel safe under her wings.

That’s the imagery our Lord used when He saw Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives:

Luke 13:34 NASB95

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, just as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not have it!

The predator, the roaring lion, the enemy of our soul, the devil is seeking to devour us, but Jesus, our protector, has extended his wings to protect those who seek refuge in Him.

The predator has been defeated! Jesus, the Savior and Deliverer, came and died at the cross to defeat him and nullify his power.

If we have trusted in God, if we have the Deliverer on our side, there is no reason to fear.

There is no reason to fear.

No matter what may come.

5-6

Wars may come (arrows and terror by night), but the Lord is you shield.

Pestilence or plagues may come, but He is your “jehovah-rafa”, your Healer, your Doctor of doctors.

Scarcity may come, but He is your “Jehova-Jireh”, your provider. When others may lack, He will prepare a table before you.

Jesus told His disciples:

Matthew 6:25–26 NASB95

“For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? “Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?

No matter how many may fall.

“A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand, but it shall not approach you. You will only look on with your eyes and see the recompense of the wicked.” 7-8

It is scary to hear that 15,440 have died in New York City; 7237 in New Jersey; 4108 in Massachusetts; and 2023 in LA County.

Those figures might lead you to ask, “What if I get it?” “What if I die?”

Pestilences have always killed thousands! But we should depend on theses words “but it shall not approach you.”

Do not fear! Have faith that God is with you and that you are under His care!

You are under His care.

9-16

He will send angels to guard you. Some say that we have a “guardian angel”, but the Lord does not send one but many.

Talking about the angels, the book of Hebrews tells that the Lord sends them to minister and serve us:

Hebrews 1:14 NASB95

Are they not all ministering spirits, sent out to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation?

They protect us, they carry us in their palms so we will not stumble, they help us in the daily fight against the enemy.

The enemy is not human; our fight is not against flesh and blood, but spiritual. Verse 13 describes the enemy as lion and serpent (dragon), two names applied to the enemy of our soul: “the roaring lion” and “the old serpent”

In His care, God has empowered us to trample down the enemy.

In His care, He will deliver us and set us securely on high; He’ll answer to our cry; He’ll be with us when in trouble; and He’ll let us see His salvation.

Not we deserve it, but only due to His love and because we have known Him. That’s the grace of God! That’s His mercy! That’s His love!