Following a particularly shocking case in our news in the last few days, there has been a lot of media discussion about the safety of women walking outside on their own in the dark.
If you haven't given the matter much thought, gentlemen, it really might be worth clicking that link there, or this one HERE!
It raises the question ...
What is your safe place to run to?
Our Verse for the Day today - addresses the whole issue (for all of us) of who you are going to run to when you feel shaken and threatened.
There's absolutely no doubt that in the sort of world we live in, we all need a safe place from time to time, and what, where and who you turn to in those times will be crucial for your well-being!
The Psalmist seems to have got his flight-line pretty solidly worked out:
"Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.2 I will say of the Lord, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.’"
They're feeling threatened - but know what they want
Whoever this psalmist is (and we're not told) they seem to know what they want (v. 1)
- Shelter, and
- Rest
They're feeling threatened - but know where to get what they want
The Psalmist seems very clear, too, as to where (in unsettling times) they will find those things:
He's going to run to ...
- The Most High
- vindicates the innocent and
- judges the wicked.
You see that elsewhere in Psalm 7:17, 9:2, 21:7 and 47:2, for example.
He's going to the One Who is ...
The divine name used here is “Shaddai” (שַׁדַּי, shadday) ... the Name also in Psalm 68:14.
- The Almighty
Shaddai (or El Shaddai) is the Sovereign God of the world who grants life and blesses but Who also kills and judges.
In Genesis he blesses the patriarchs with fertility and promises numerous descendants.
Outside Genesis he both blesses and protects - takes away life and happiness.
He is all-powerful and NOT to be messed with.
But before you start to think this is not very encouraging ... the Psalm goes on to identify this 'do not mess with' God as the LORD.
- The LORD
So the One Who is all powerful to give life and bless (as well as do the opposite) is a known quantity to the Psalmist.
He's big, He is strong, He is the righteous judge but He is also committed to the care of His people.
This isn't always a comfort you can grasp
You'd think that all this would be a very great comfort, but the thing is ... when you need that confidence most, it can be hard to get (or certainly keep) a firm hold of!
And that's where some of our English translations of this Psalm might be letting us down.
Some translations are letting us down here
What I am getting at here becomes obvious from the way the next couple of verses go.
The New English Translation helps us out with understanding this:
"As for you, the one who lives in the shelter of the Most High,
and resides in the protective shadow of the Sovereign One—2
I say this about the Lord,
my shelter and my stronghold,
my God in whom I trust—
3
he will certainly rescue you from the snare of the hunter
and from the destructive plague."
3
he will certainly rescue you from the snare of the hunter
and from the destructive plague."
Psalm 91:1-3
The Point
What seems to be happening in this psalm is that an individual (perhaps a priest, but not necessarily so) is addressing someone who needs to seek shelter in the Lord and assures them that God will protect them from danger (vv. 1-13).
Then in vv. 14-16 God speaks directly and Himself promises to keep his loyal follower safe, just as the person in the earlier verses had assured them.
The Takeaway
The person in trouble here seems to be a person with faith in God.
But serious threats can sometimes put any of us in need of an encouraging person who is also a believer to support our faith that our God is our safe refuge, and offer friendly encouragement to us along the way.
Whose faith can you reinforce for them today?
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