Psalms 91:4  He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: 

 

 

One picture speaks more (sometimes) than a thousand words. How determinedly on guard the mother bird looks. How caring towards her young.

How snug, safe and secure her young ones feel. I say “feel” rather than “look” because when I look at this picture I can feel the security and comfort that the little ones must feel in their closeness to their mother, under the protection of her wings.

I wish I knew who the photographer was. Surely, the fact that he caught this moment was a great blessing to those who saw his photograph.

I received this by one of those “forwarded” emails. Asking the person who sent it to me may not produce the answer, because she may not know it herself.

If and when I do identify the source, I will give due credit to the photographer.

 

And now let’s read through Psalm 91, understand it well, and ask for faith in what God promises in the Psalm.

 

 

Psalm 91

God’s Deliverances and Rewards

One of the biggest problems in these last days is that people don’t seem to know who is doing what to whom! For instance, they blame God for things that have nothing to do with Him.

Insurance companies describe disasters as “acts of God”, as if God is the One Who is destroying people!

If you think that God is making you sick, persecuting you, oppressing you to “teach you a lesson”, then there’s no way you are going to resist the sickness or oppression in the Name of Jesus! That’s because you will think (and the logic is absolutely correct), if Jesus is giving you a disease, how can His Name heal you?

But what did Jesus say?

John 10:10  The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
11  I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.

It is the devil who destroys. Yet I served him for 36 years before I was born again! The God I serve now wants to reward me, not to destroy me! He is not an oppressor, but a Deliverer. He’s not in the take-away business, but in the add-unto business. He doesn’t want to punish me (Jesus has taken my punishment for me), but to reward me.

Hebrews 11:6  But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

In this webpage, we’re going to look at Psalm 91, and we’re going to see what deliverances and rewards God has promised us.

Deliverance from Deceit: Psalm 91, v.3.

Psalms 91:1  He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
2  I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.
3  Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.

The snare is the trap. The fowler is the hunter who is hunting birds (fowls). The hunter sets traps for the birds. The devil is the fowler who sets traps for us. God promises to deliver us from these traps.

One of the traps that the devil sets for us is false doctrine. God seeks to deliver us from this trap.

1 Timothy 4:1  Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;
2  Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;
3  Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.

We know who forbids and is forbidden to marry. The Roman Catholic hierarchy. No wonder they resort to secret sins with women, altar boys, etc., while continuing to say Mass, hear confessions and distribute communion. They speak lies in hypocrisy, pretending to be oh so holy. Their consciences are seared with a hot iron. Jesus said, “By their fruits you shall know them.” (Matthew 7:16,20.) Seeing the horrible fruit of such teaching, we know that they are the doctrines of devils, taught by seducing spirits. (Incidentally, the Roman Catholic church also commands its members to abstain from meats on Fridays throughout the year, and also during Lent. The command of abstinence is also described in the above passage as a doctrine of devils.) God promises to deliver His believers from such doctrines.

Another sort of deceitful teaching by certain Bible teachers (!!!) is that signs and wonders such as healings, gifts of the Spirit, etc., are no longer operative today. Many theologians (even Protestant theologians) would teach that these things have passed away, that things don’t happen in that way today. “Liberal” theologians teach that God’s Word isn’t really true, that you can’t believe it as it stands, that God didn’t mean what He said. My own stand concerning this matter is that the Bible is God’s Word. My motto is: “If God said it, I believe it, and that settles it!” This provides a firm basis for faith for receiving miracles in answer to prayer. Without such a stand, we’re left with the opinions of men, which have no power to save or to deliver or heal.

God’s Word has been watered down long enough. It is time for us to set things right and accept that if God didn’t mean something He wouldn’t have said it, and that He would have said what He really meant.

The best way to look at the Bible is to see what Jesus told the apostles to do in Mark16:15-20. They were simple enough to follow His instructions … and they got results! The book of Acts is the blueprint for the church in any generation, including today’s generation. If the church missed it, it isn’t God’s fault, and it isn’t for lack of clear instruction in His Word! Jesus promised that miracles would follow them that believe. In other words, believers. One doesn’t have to be an apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor or teacher, to have signs following. These signs shall follow them that believe.

Mark 16:15  And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
16  He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
17  And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;
18  They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
19  So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.
20  And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.

But theologians will say, things have changed since then.

Hebrews 13:8  Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.

Malachi 3:6a  For I am the LORD, I change not;

John 14:12  Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.

When Jesus says “Verily” (which means “truly”) twice, He’s obviously underlining what He is saying. “Truly, truly, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works that these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.”

We need to repent of not taking Jesus at His word.

And then there’s the deceitful teaching that is offered by other religions. These days it is “politically correct” to hold the view that as long as you believe in some god, never mind what you call him (Rama, Krishna, Vishnu, Shiva, Allah, Buddha), as long as you believe in some scripture (the Koran, the Rig Veda, the Bhagvat Gita, the I Ching), you will go to heaven. The important thing (in this politically correct view) is to lead a “good life”. This may be the politically correct view, but in the eyes of God it is totally false. Let’s take a simple expression of this view and show how obviously it is wrong.

The simple expression of this view that I have chosen for this purpose is: “All roads lead to Rome.” In other words, no matter what road you take, you’ll get to heaven. Now suppose you leave home and take any road at random, leading in any direction whatsoever. Would it, in fact, lead to Rome? Obviously not, as every traveller knows. Similarly every religion does not lead to heaven.

John 14:6  Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

If we believe in the Word and keep its conditions, God will deliver us from the snares of the fowler.

Deliverance from Disease: Psalm 91, v.3b

3  Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.

The word “pestilence” means infectious or contagious or deadly disease. Including SARS. God’s Word promises us that He will deliver us from infectious, contagious and deadly diseases. When there is no hope with man, there is always hope in God. Incurable diseases are not incurable to God.

God isn’t asleep. He hasn’t disappeared. He’s still around, well, and alive on Planet Earth, as well as in Planet Heaven!

Deliverance from Fear: Psalm 91, v.4-5a

Psalms 91:4  He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.
5  Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night;

Many people are terrified of darkness. These days, there is so much terror in the world that people in some countries are afraid to leave their flats! Elsewhere, as in Hong Kong, there is SARS, and again people are afraid to leave their flats!

But the Bible says that we do not have to be scared of the terror at night because the One Who is greater than the terror in dwelling inside us!

Let’s put it this way: If you were sitting in your room at night and your lights went off, and Jesus came in and sat down next to you, would you be scared of the dark? But you have Jesus living in you. So, how can you be afraid of the dark? We have the Greater One, we have the Holy Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead, dwelling in us, and walking with us into every situation we walk into.

Romans 8:11  But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.

We should never be afraid of anything.

Deliverance from Harm: Psalm 91, v.5b

Psalms 91:5b  Thou shalt not be afraid … for the arrow that flieth by day;

God will protect you from bullets, riots, wars, attackers. During the Hindu-Muslim riots in 1993, I had to go in the course of my secular work into areas that had a lot of Muslims and were considered dangerous. Many business friends asked me to shave of my beard as it made me look Muslim. I said I would not, because I knew that the Lord would protect me. Once I was in an area where I saw a Muslim lying dead on the road. Once I was in another area where a riot took place while I was there. I was unafraid. He delivered me from the arrow that flieth by day.

I want to quote a historically true and confirmed incident, narrated in a book called Hand on the Helm by Catherine Carter.

For four long years, in the frontline warfare of World War I, a British regiment did not have one casualty. They did not lose a single man. They could only give one explanation for this incredible record. During those interminable years of danger and valor, every officer and every enlisted man in the regiment daily affirmed his faith in God’s protection by repeating the 91st Psalm.

The book goes on to say that each officer and soldier in the regiment carried a complete copy of the Psalm and either read it or recited it from memory daily.

Considering the casualty totals for the war, and more specifically, considering the casualties experienced by adjacent regiments, the chances that an entire regiment could go through such frontline battles without a single casualty, were astronomical. Religious magazines on both sides of the Atlantic published the story and it was pointed out, as hard as it might be for some people to believe, that bullets and shells, aimed at the men of this regiment, were supernaturally deflected, it was still harder to believe that coincidence could have sent that many bullets astray.

Deliverance from floods and earthquakes: Psalm 91, v.6

Psalms 91:5  Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;
6  Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.

Some are serving God because they are scared of Him. They are serving the wrong person. God is a good God and He is going to protect us. While the body of Christ is here, the world is not finished. We still have work to do for the kingdom of God, and He will protect us so that we can get it done on time. I remember the story I heard in Manila of a mighty tidal wave in Mindanao island, which is (or was at that time, I’m not in touch with the current position) a strongly Muslim area. The tidal wave seemed to have discriminated between the Muslims and the Christians. For instance, a Muslim and a Christian fisherman were in a fishing boat. The tidal wave carried the boat upward, and flung both the men into the air. The Muslim landed in the water and was drowned. The Christian landed on top of a coconut palm and was saved. There were so many incidents of this sort, that the Muslims realized that God had favored the Christians, and became open for the first time to listen to the gospel.

God’s Reward: His Word for a shield: Psalm 91, v.4

Psalms 91:4  He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.

God’s promise, His truth, acts as a shield to believers (those who trust under His wings).

When we find ourselves under attack, we should do what Jesus did in Matthew 4 (in his temptation in the desert). We should use God’s Word as a shield and a 2-edged sword against the devil. We too should declare: “It is written …”

Proverbs 30:5  Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.

God’s Reward: Release: Psalm 91, v.5, 7-8

God releases us from fear, as we have already seen. 2 Timothy 1:7 says …

2 Timothy 1:7  For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

God’s reward to the believer is a spirit of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

Actually, God has said “Fear not …” in the Bible, as many as 366 times! Once for every day in the year, including leap years!

Jesus has released us from all curses that may ever have alighted on us.

The curses of the law are lissted in Deuteronomy 28:15-67. But what does God tell us that Jesus did?

Galatians 3:13  Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:
14  That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

Christ redeemed us from sin, sickness, poverty. The word “redeemed” is defined in the dictionary as “buy back, recover by expenditure of effort or by stipulated payment”. Jesus paid the stipulated payment to buy us back from all the curses of the law.

Isaiah 43:2  When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.
3  For I am the LORD thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour:

When the devil comes against you, just stand on the Word of God, confess it with your mouth, believe in your heart, and you will receive what it promises. Do it over and over. Tell the devil that you will not stop fighting until you have won and beaten him. When the devil brings a bucket of water to throw on the fire of God’s Word in our hearts, let the fire make steam out of the water! Unfortunately, many Christians do not turn the devil’s water into steam power. Instead, they themselves go up in smoke!

Psalm 91:7  A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.
8  Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.

Even though a thousand or even ten thousand may be affected by some scourge that the devil brings, we are not to consider ourselves as belonging to the same category as the affected people. The scourge will not touch us. We may see with our eyes that others are affected, but we will not be.

Sin is destructive. The wages of sin is death. Sin will destroy you, your health, your family, your relationship with your wife and children, etc. But God releases you from all that.

God’s Reward: Answered Prayer: Psalm 91, v.15

Psalms 91:15  He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.

Mark 11:24  Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

Wonderful promise! God desires to answer our prayer. He is not the One Who is hindering our prayers. If we are not getting answers, the Bible says that the problem is with us, not with God.

James 4:3  Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.

God’s Reward: Honor: Psalm 91, v.15

Psalms 91:15  He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.

Another wonderful promise! The Most High God will honor you – what a reward! You will be a vessel of honor in the house of the Lord, if you walk in line with His Word. He will honor what you say and what you do, because He will always honor His Word and never go against it.

God’s Reward: Long Life: Psalm 91, v.16

Psalms 91:16  With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.

Yet another wonderful promise! In fact, this is a two-fold promise. God promises not only to give us long life, but also to satisfy us. To be satisfied does not mean that you should be moaning and groaning and complaining of aches and pains and circumstances all day long. God wants to satisfy you with long life. He does not want you to live a long life of suffering and pain and unhappiness. Believe God’s promise and receive a long, satisfying life from Him.

The word “salvation” in Hebrew is “shalom”. It means peace, forgiveness of sin, the blessings of health and financial well being. In short, it encompasses wholeness and prosperity in every aspect of life!

It is all provided in God’s Plan of Salvation. It is all provided in the promises God made in Psalm 91. It is up to us to confess with our mouths, believe with our hearts, and receive the fulfillment of the promises.

If you’d like to read the sharing and testimony of Peggy Joyce Ruth who has devoted her life to helping people understand this one Psalm, click here.