VotD 2/25/19
Psalm 91 has been one of my favorite Psalms due to a song by Lincoln Brewster in the 90s – I’d highly recommend it if you haven’t heard it! His version is a very meditative, peaceful take on this Psalm, but the Psalm’s context is physical and military: God will protect you from all kinds of dangers, including physical ones, if you take your refuge in God’s shadow. Interestingly, this is the Psalm quoted by the devil when tempting Jesus to throw himself off of the roof of the temple: “he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.” Jesus teaches us to not take this verse simplistically. These words don’t mean that faithful people will never come to harm, that they can do risky things without fear of danger because of God’s supernatural influence. Instead, this is a Psalm expressing a deep level of trust in God. Despite the very real dangers the Psalmist faces, God is still trustworthy. Even if all our friends are taken from us, even if we’re surrounded by sickness and terror, God is still worth trusting. We are not always faithful enough to gain the long life God wishes for us, or to avoid the dangers God would rather not have us face, but in the end, as Christians, we know that God will ultimately rescue us and save our souls.