of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the
Almighty.
I will say of the Lord, He is
my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.
Surely He will save you from the
fowler’s snare
and from the deadly
pestilence.
He will cover you with His feathers,
and under His wings you will find
refuge;
His faithfulness will be your
shield and rampart (Psalm 91:1-4).
Rest. Refuge. Fortress. Shield. Rampart.
It’s easy to read these verses and understand them to mean that nothing bad will happen to us if we trust God. But we all know people and perhaps have been the person who has been whammed by life’s disasters even when we are walking daily with our Lord.
However, if we read Psalm 91:1-4 carefully, we realize that the battle wages on around the psalmist. There is a fowler’s snare and deadly pestilence, but there is a place of refuge and rest he runs to in the midst of the trouble.
The psalmist desires to dwell, to live in the shadow of the Most High because he knows that this is the only place of strength in trials. This is where he finds peace and comfort.
Yesterday I wrote about living this year expectantly, not focused on the past or the present problems but focused on the promises of God. Psalm 91 is one of those promises.
I have a confession. For years I have given away, stored in the garage, and perhaps even trashed (sorry that might be blasphemous) books entitled “The Promises of God.” You know, those books you can buy for a dollar at the book store that have nothing but Scripture under different headings like: Needing peace, provision, comfort, wisdom, healing etc. They’ve bugged me. I’m not sure why.
I believe in the power of the Word of God. I do hold onto His promises, but if I really dig down deep I think I struggle with these books of promises because they just sound or feel trite to me. Me of little faith. How can a person believe in Scripture yet not like these wonderful little books? Yet even as I write these questions, I know part of the answer:
I do not know what to do when a particular Scripture/promise does not seem to happen. When the wish is not granted by the magic genie verse in the book.
I know God is not a magic genie. Nor is He a God who can be pinned down and dissected to be understood by the very creatures He created. Yet we try to do it all the time. Books are written every day; doctrines are established and adopted by churches because we so desperately want to figure out the God of the universe.
This year (well, for today) I think I’m going to try to focus more on the story and less on the word-for-word. Don’t get me wrong; I know I’ve got to have both. I do believe in the divine inspiration, Truth and power of the Bible, but I’m also convinced that we humans often mess it up. Read it wrong. Interpret it badly.
My shelter cannot be in someone’s doctrine or theology. My shelter cannot be in my understanding of a single verse from the Bible. It has to be in my relationship with the Living, uncomprehendable God who came to this earth as Jesus. The image of the invisible God. My shield and rampart in times of trouble. Refuge. Rest.
This is where I want to camp. In the Promise of The Story.
Where are you living today? How’s that working out for you?
Much grace and peace,
andy
Your reflection on the promise of the story really made me rethink how narrative shapes the way we feel, remember, and connect – not just what happens on the page, but what it awakens in us afterward. The way you tied story to emotional and human truth gave the piece real depth. I’m curious: is there one story that’s changed the way you see the world long after you finished it?
Hi Annette, Wow! That’s an old post–14 years old. It was a post written after a devastating loss. My only sister lost a battle to cancer at age 50. When those devastating things happen, they tend to color the world and your faith. It’s difficult to say what story my 14 year younger self was going through at the time, but if I had to guess it would be my grief and the hardships of others struggling around me. 14 years older and wiser, I cling not only to the story of Jesus, but I also cling to every single promise of God. Thanks for stopping by. How did you find this article? What were you searching?