Psalms Of Trust

PSALMS OF TRUST

King David was one of a number of figures of the Old Testament who stands out unique from the others in his own way. He sinned much, read much, wrote much, and importantly, he trusted God much. He trusted the Lord in many ways. Consider Psalm 91. David finds security in God's care, His character, His protection, and His love. David finds security in His secret place, which is His tabernacle (Ps. 27:5), in His pavilion (Ps. 31:20), even God Himself is David's hiding place (Ps. 32:7). Ps. 119:114 also has it that God is his hiding place and shield. Under the Almighty's shadow and wings are often used terms to describe the gentle loving protection of God (Ps. 17:8). Consider a mother bird and her babies; they are quiet when the mother is settled over top of them, and they are safe under her wings, and so they make no fuss. When she is gone hunting food for them, then they make noise, because their mother's safety is absent as she herself is, and this is the character of the safety God's wing offered David, and us, too.

When David says He is a refuge and a fortress, you think of protection from enemies, right? When calling God "the Lord", it is His most noteworthy appellation, because it means He is the active, self-existent One, and Israel's Redeemer. If your protection never sleeps, isn't this a noteworthy character of that protection? So it is with the Lord, and David's trust is wisely placed.

Now in Psa. 91:2 - 3, understand that the fowler is the devil, and he has a number of snares. One of the worst is pride, and it is a popular snare in today's world. Nebuchadnezzar was proud up until the point he lost his mind for about 7 years. Then he acknowledged God as the Most High and Almighty, blessed Him, praised Him, acknowledged His everlasting dominion over all, and in this he humiliated himself under the Lord, and after this his sanity and his kingdom were restored to him, and you can read this in Dan. 4:28-37. We are further told to beware pride in 1 Tim. 3:6-7; even an experienced person can have an off moment and get caught in this snare, but much easier a person who doesn't read the bible, or believe the bible, or has not read it enough to be wise to the many avenues down the road of pride, and it indeed goeth before a fall, and great is that fall.

Psa. 91:5-7 are about His care for our security. remember when as a child you most likely had something you were afraid of in the dark? You are safe with the Lord. Job 5:19 shows that just like David, he, too, trusted in God to care for him and be secure in Him, even though he went through so much adversity. In Ps. 112:7, he believes a good man's heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord. Believe also that a good woman's heart is equally justified by trusting in God. God is your protection both day and night (Ps. 121:6)! When your mind is stayed on God, you should have a good night's sleep just as it is written in Prov. 23-24. Isa. 43:2 has it that He shall be our protection through all manners of water and fire, just as He did for Shadrach, Meshach & Abed-nego in Dan. 3:13-30.

Now one of the blessings of our safety in Him is His protection, which is given us in Psa. 91:9-13. Now remember earlier I submitted to you that "the Lord" meant Israel's Redeemer, but also realize He's our Redeemer, too. Our dwelling place is to be Him, our Habitation, as David also cries out for His help in Ps. 71:3. There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. David knew what he was talking about here, possibly remembering the last plague on Egypt. Remember the last plague? Israel obeyed God's instruction through Moses and applied the blood of a lamb on their doorposts and all the firstborn of Egypt died, but not those of Israel, and it was the finishing touch to make pharaoh let Moses' people go. Exod. 11:1-12:33 recounts the story of this last plague. In the hands of His angels are the believers, to protect us in all our situations of all our lives. Heb. 1:14 fortifies this statement of David, doesn't it? David has also written of this in Ps. 34:7. Even the devil knew this to be true, as he tempted Jesus concerning it in Matt. 4:6, and in Luke 4:10-11! Job 5:23 has it also that God's protection is even from the stones of the field.

From the last three verses we learn of blessings of love in His protection. David loved the Lord, and knew His name, and therefore, God showed His love in David's deliverance, and we can expect the same. By loving God, knowing Him by name and for who He is, we can trust His protection, just as in Ps. 9:10. He will show us His salvation with love. When we call upon Him, He will answer us (Ps. 50:15), He will be with us in times of trouble, and in honoring Him, He will return honor with honor (1 Sam. 2:30).