Psalm 91 is about the “the blessedness” of the man who
“dwelleth in the secret place of the most High”. The “secret place of
the most High” probably refers to the Most Holy Place in the Tabernacle,
where God supposedly dwelled. Such a one is protected “under the shadow of
the Almighty”.
In a hot day, what do we do? Look for a shelter. If in
the open field, we look for a tree. Well, this is what the psalmist is trying
to draw for us in the first verse: “He that dwelleth in the secret place of
the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.”
God is the shelter in times of storm. He is also the
shade during a hot day. Those who come under His shadow are safe from the
burning heat. The application is: In whatever troubles we face today, God is
the place of refuge we can run to; He is our safe place.
Pressure and stress in life can seem as stifling as a
hot afternoon sun. Yet God whispers: “Walk in my shadow.” When we are resting
in God’s shadow, we will never face the full heat of our difficulties. Our Lord
beckons: “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will
give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). What a great comfort to those who are under
a load of heavy burden.
But there is a condition. It is in the word “dwell”: “He
that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High”. The word “dwell”
means, “to take up permanent residence in.” You can’t get under His
shadow until you first get into His shadow. When you see a shady place to
protect you from the sun, you have to run to it; it doesn’t come to you. Then,
you have to stay in its shadow.
Psalm 91 shows us that even though God offers refuge
and shelter, we must respond to His offer if we are going to experience His
protection. Hence, in order to find rest in God, we must first go to Him. So,
the psalmist reminds us to stay in His “secret place”. He says if we do that,
we will “rest” in the very "shadow of the Almighty."
“Shadow” as used here means a place of protection or
covering. Often in this book of Psalms, the protection of God is called "the
shadow of his wings" (Psalm 17:8; 36:7; 57:1; 63:7). The picture is a
hen that gathers her chickens under her wings when she sees danger (Matthew
23:37).
All who live a life of communion with God are
constantly safe under His protection: “For he shall give his angels charge
over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their
hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone” (vs 11-12).
How angels keep us I don’t know; but one thing is
sure: Psalm 91:11-12 shows the faithful are under the constant care of angels
(see also Hebrews 1:14). Some may disagree with me. But let me ask: why do we
pray that God takes care of our journey here if He does not do anything?
Surely, God is helping us each day, and possibly, it is through the “guardian
angels”. Angels were His ministering spirits in the Old and New Testament. Did
they retire and stop working for God today? Perhaps at the Judgment Day, all
will be manifest to us how angels had on multiple occasions, rendered help to
us.
The psalm shows us that God’s care is extended toward
us even when we are unaware of it. It teaches us that God’s care of us includes
His use of the holy angels. Indeed, with God as our protector, who can be
against us? “What shall we then say to these things?
If God be for us, who can be against us? ” (Romans 8:31). Thanks be to
God for His love and protection.
Jimmy Lau
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