Psalm 91 is also about secret hiding places. It’s all about finding refuge. It’s all about protection from enemies and dwelling in safety and security. But not in some poorly constructed shanty. Our spiritual fortress is God himself! He is our hiding place. Listen to its powerful opening promise:
“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, ‘My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust'” (vv. 1-2).
Psalm 91 is both anonymous and timeless, and I’m glad for that, because it makes it easy and natural to apply its truths to any Christian at any time in history, regardless of circumstance or situation.
David could easily have written this psalm, for he says much the same thing in another of his compositions:
“Oh, how abundant is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you, and worked for those who take refuge in you, in the sight of the children of mankind! In the cover of your presence you hide them from the plots of men; you store them in your shelter from the strife of tongues” (Psalm 31:19-20).
And yet again:
“for you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the enemy. Let me dwell in your tent forever! Let me take refuge under the shelter of your wings!” (Psalm 61:3-4)
Try to envision God’s power as forging his love into a strong and impregnable fortress. God doesn’t build us a shanty out of leaves and rotting wood. God’s love is our shelter. He himself is our hiding place. His presence is our peace, our protection, our refuge.
I said that Psalm 91 applies to any Christian at any time, but that’s not entirely accurate. The promise of peace and security and protection is for the one “who dwells in the shelter of the Most High” (v. 1a), the one who says to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust” (v. 2). That is to say, it is for anyone who consciously and zealously embraces the Lord and consistently entrusts himself to God’s loving care. The blessings of Psalm 91 are for those who seek after God as their highest and greatest good in life, their summum bonum, if you will.
This wording forces me to ask: Do you live in God’s presence every day or do you merely visit him for an hour on Sunday? The promised blessings of this psalm are not for those who occasionally run to God for help when they’re in trouble. Nor is it for the sporadic, once-in-a-while pray-er. God is a refuge to those who habitually seek their abode in him.
To read the rest of the commentary on Psalm 91, click here to go to: Sam Storms, Enjoying God Ministries
Knowing God through His Word ... Day by Day 