SERMON - PSALM 91 GOD'S PROMISES

                                                             Psalm 91

1 Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
    will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.[a]
2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
    my God, in whom I trust.”

3 Surely he will save you
    from the fowler’s snare
    and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with his feathers,
    and under his wings you will find refuge;
    his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
5 You will not fear the terror of night,
    nor the arrow that flies by day,
6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
    nor the plague that destroys at midday.
7 A thousand may fall at your side,
    ten thousand at your right hand,
    but it will not come near you.
8 You will only observe with your eyes
    and see the punishment of the wicked.

9 If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,”
    and you make the Most High your dwelling,
10 no harm will overtake you,
    no disaster will come near your tent.
11 For he will command his angels concerning you
    to guard you in all your ways;
12 they will lift you up in their hands,
    so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread on the lion and the cobra;
    you will trample the great lion and the serpent.

14 “Because he[b] loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him;
    I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
15 He will call on me, and I will answer him;
    I will be with him in trouble,
    I will deliver him and honor him.
16 With long life I will satisfy him
    and show him my salvation.”

After reading the Psalm it must be made blatantly clear that God is telling us of His Promises for the days that lie ahead.

Psalm 91:1 Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High

    will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

This is a great truth for all Christians who live their lives in accordance with God's commands. God has promised  to be our shelter between us and anything an enemy may threaten us with and anything that enemy might seek to harm us with.

2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress,     my God, in whom I trust.”

God, in saying this makes it clear the if any that choose to place their trust in Him and obey His dictates on earth as well as in heaven have nothing to fear.

3 Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare

    and from the deadly pestilence.

God is most powerful and will protect His followers. They must use His gifts of discernment and never think of killing any that refuse to accept His existence. Those that choose to deny Him are like a plague  in their intensity.

God protects our spirits from any lies who seek to harm us. He will protect us from anything that tries to cause us harm in a spiritual manner. He is truly in control.

 4  He will cover you with his feathers,     and under his wings you will find refuge;     his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart  

Like a mother hen God will protect us  in times of danger. Though others may see you, your spirit will be hidden from harm. His love will keep you safe from temptation and sin. Trust in Him and do not fear! A mother hen's might not be seen as a safe place to hide from things that Satan may throw at us, but God promises that those 'feathers' are our armor and protection so long as our trust in Him remains strong.

5   You will not fear the terror of night,
    nor the arrow that flies by day,  

When it is dark we often see things that do not exist.  we may cower seek to determine what danger lies ahead. This is what Satan wants. Satan wants us to fear what we cannot see. Even in this light of day Satan wants to fear thing we do not see , but think them harmful.

Remember the Passover? When Moses, at God's direction, had Israelites paint their door frames with lamb's blood? God sent a plague to kill the firstborn males of Egypt. Did the firstborn of Israel die having obeyed Him?

We Christians have the Blood of the Most Holy Lamb protecting us! Jesus Christ is our Savior and He is the Light that cannot be defeated by darkness! Jesus' light is brighter than the sun and He is brighter than daylight!

6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,

    nor the plague that destroys at midday.

Question: Why fear anything that may cause you to fall away from God?

Answer:  Because His promise of eternal life, with Him is greater than anything you will fear on this earthly plane! 

As ayoung man I played football. I played with men that weighed as much as 300+ pounds and 6'5" tall. Me, 5'9'' and 205 pounds.  Many did their best to intimidate me and even tried to make me fear  them. I trusted in God to allow me to use the talents and strength He endowed in me. He gave me the capacity to love the thrill of the game. I used the God given talents He Gave me and when others got nervous  I was able to tell jokes!

While others prayed for victory I prayed for the safety of everyone playing in the game.

There must not be fear of darkness nor fear of things you cannot see. You might suffer a pain or two , but realize you are going to spend an eternity with Him if you allow him to protect you.

7 A thousand may fall at your side,

    ten thousand at your right hand,
    but it will not come near you.

Imaging a thousand people fall dead at each side of you.

To really understand this put the image in your mind of a crowd in a football stadium dropping dead to you right and to your left. 

The very thought of such an event is enough to paralyze a person with fear! Fear is something you must defeat as it will be your death if you succumb to it. That is Satan trying to get your immortal soul. Trust in God and be ever alert to Satan's whims. Always be on the alert!

If you remain steadfast and accept God as your protection, your only hope, and put fear out of your mind, then you are proving to Him that you trust in Him and are worthy of His love.

8  You will only observe with your eyes
    and see the punishment of the wicked.  

In times of war or great evils those responsible for causing death to innocents will undoubtedly be punished.  They are the 'wicked.' Though you may not want any to suffer, those who do evil will suffer.

You will see them suffer knowing that God gave them the opportunity to do that which was right, but they  refused God! You must turn away from these evil and wicked ones.

9 If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,”

    and you make the Most High your dwelling,   

Just like Verse 2, by accepting our Lord as you Savior, you are saying, " There is none, but my God, He is my all." He protects us with His love and we must keep Him in our hearts  and minds.

10 no harm will overtake you,

    no disaster will come near your tent.

God will be our armor against all evil, be it sickness or harm, or anything seeking to make us fearful. These things will not come near our homes or our Christian family members! Any who seek to go against us will suffer God's judgment and His righteous wrath!

11  For he will command his angels concerning you
    to guard you in all your ways;  

As Yahweh Sabaoth our Lord commands an army of angels who obey His every command. It matters not where you are, with God in your heart and mind, you are safe from evil! His angels are with you! Keep Him in your thoughts and trust in Him every moment of your life. In doing so no pain, discomfort , worry or fear must be allowed to take the trust and love you have for Him.

12  they will lift you up in their hands,
    so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.

They, God's angels, will protect you because god told them to! God has ordered His angels to watch over  any who believe in Him and keep His commandments. 

God's angels have great abilities and strengths, and they obey God.  Caution must be taken as Satan is ever seeking to trap any who stray. Do not fall from God's grace thereby falling from the protections afforded by His angels!

13 You will tread on the lion and the cobra;

    you will trample the great lion and the serpent.

Satan may be seen as a "lion roaring in the streets," and also as, "the serpent that deceived Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.

In times of temptation you must turn away from Satan. Satan is a very powerful fallen angel.   Instead of thinking   any man can rebuke him it must be realized that even Michael, one of God's angels, upon confronting Satan invoked the Lord by saying, "The Lord rebuke thee," as Michael knew and relied on the power of God.  

Satan's demons may be cast out by a true Christian, and they are enemies of God. They gain entry into the hearts of men and women who seek to destroy anything God has made holy. As a child of God your name is in the Book of Life. Be ever alert and know God and His angels look out for His children. 

14, “Because he[b] loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him;

    I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
15 He will call on me, and I will answer him;
    I will be with him in trouble,
    I will deliver him and honor him.
16 With long life I will satisfy him

    and show him my salvation.” 

God has made promises throughout this Chapter of  Psalms. All Christians must realize  that He further promises to "rescue those who love me," and to "protect those who trust in My Name." 

Be certain that you truly love Him and you must call on Him by Name. 

God not only promises to save us from harm, trouble, and plague but also promises to grant us "long Lives," and "salvation."  All we need do is to trust in Him, love Him, and obey His commands. In return He will conquer our enemies. In short our enemies are Satan and his demons!

(Closing prayer)

Abba, we thank You for Your promises and for You love, We thank You for all that You have provided in our life times and for the times ahead.

Lord, we are weak and You are strong. We ask that You strengthen us in times of need and send Your angels to assist us through any trials ahead.

Father, we ask for Your Divine Guidance when we are confronted with decisions requiring Your wishes for us. We ask that You guide our government to do what is right in You eyes and open their hearts and minds to the needs of Your people.

Father, we ask that You send Your Angels to protect our military men and women and the law enforcement  charged with keeping us safe.

We also ask that You open the eyes of our Judiciary and have them issue rulings worthy of You.

We pray these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Your Son and our Savior, Who is One with You and the Holy Spirit, One God forever and ever, Amen, amen and amen.

Note: I carry a copy of this Psalm in my wallet and read it from time to time. God has protected me as He will you. Simply copy this Psalm and reduce it in size and give each of your family members and loved ones a copy

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Pastor Lee S Gliddon Jr
God's Word Christian Ministry
Conservative Patriot http://conpats.blogspot.com