Read Psalm 91:1-4. 1He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. 2I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” 3For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence. 4He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.
Psalm 91 speaks of a single individual. HE who dwells. This person chooses to dwell in the Most High’s shelter and in the shadow of the Almighty. We can hear this person praying, “Lord, I trust you fully. You are fully faithful.”
Who is this individual? Who is praying this prayer? In times of great distress, who chooses to abide in the shadow of the Almighty? Is it you? Is it me? Well, definitely not apart from Christ. We will run to everything but the Almighty in times of need. The almighty dollar. The almighty human relationship. The almighty entertainment. The almighty education. The almighty diet. The almighty sex. The almighty coping mechanism or co-dependence.
Yes, Jesus alone has trusted the Lord fully. And for Jesus, this meant trusting the shelter of the Most High even when the deliverance from the cross didn’t come, wouldn’t come. Deliverance from the deadly pestilence only came though death. But now, in Christ, we can appropriate this prayer as our own. We can put the words of Christ onto our own lips, even when we’re not sure if we even truly believe it.
To live is Christ means saying to the Lord what Jesus would say. If Christ can say it so can you, even if you’re not quite fully there, say it anyway. It’s not hypocrisy, it’s hope.
You: What “almighty” thing do you run to for shelter in times of trial?
You in Christ: How does union with Christ allow us to pray Psalm 91 just as Jesus could have?
Christ in you: Practice praying this prayer today – My refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust.
Pray: Jesus, you made God your refuge even from the cross. By your power may I do the same, one day to the fullest, but for today in the hope of my union with you. Amen.
To Live is Christ 