Certain Comfort in Uncertain Times: A Look at Psalm 91

Certain comfort in uncertain times. We crave it in the deepest parts of our souls. The world around us only grows more treacherous, more able to deny us peace and hope. However, in the midst of upheaval and chaos, God invites us to dwell in his shelter.

Whoever dwells in the shelter 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.” Psalm 91:1-2

When I feel uncertain, afraid, alone, stressed, I turn to the Psalms. However, Psalm 91 calls to me because of the majesty and magnitude of its promises. At a particularly distressing time in my life, God called me to meet him in Psalm 91.

Certain Comfort Where We Are Safe

Psalm 91 begins with an invitation to enter into the place where God is, where the very shadow of God covers us. He offers a fortress to hide us from danger, within the presence of the One in whom we trust. We are promised rest. The term fortress implies that there is a defender, someone to fight on our behalf. Because the Lord is called a refuge and fortress, it infers that can be trusted. Likewise, it conveys the idea of faith, a belief that he is able to protect and defend.

Events in the world, concerns for family members, for friends, for our country press in from every side. But when we dwell in the shelter of the Lord, we can rest knowing we are safe. “In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety.” (Psalm 4:8)

At the time I agonized over events beyond my control the words of Psalm 91 conveyed God’s invitation to enter a place free of worry, fear, and danger. The Amplified Bible notes it as a place where those who dwell will “remain stable and fixed under the shadow of the Almighty [Whose power no foe can withstand].” (Psalm 91:1AMP)

Certain Comfort from Evil Attacks

Surely he will save you
    from the fowler’s snare
    and from the deadly pestilence. Psalm 91:3

Therefore, we are protected an enemy that attacks from without “from the fowler’s snare,” and an enemy that attacks from within “the deadly pestilence.” Dwelling with the Lord is our only protection from the multi-pronged attacks of the enemy that seeks to destroy us. “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8)

He will cover you with his feathers,
    and under his wings you will find refuge;
    his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. Psalm 91:4

Think of a mother bird, the baby birds tucked beneath her feathers, safe from predators and storms.

At the same time, we’re told God will be our rampart, a defensive wall of a castle, typically a stone parapet with a walkway atop. However, the Amplified Version adds “His truth and His faithfulness are a shield and a buckler.” A buckler is defined as a small shield used for hand-to-hand combat. This indicates protection from further off, as well as in close quarters. Wherever the enemy confronts us, God is there and ready.

Certainty of Protection Day and Night

You will not fear the terror of night,
    nor the arrow that flies by day,
nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
    nor the plague that destroys at midday. Psalm 91:4-6

Nighttime is when enemies can approach boldly, under the cover of darkness. It is also the time when minds run wild with fear and imaginings, a time of quiet when work is finished and our thoughts turn inward. The Amplified Version notes “the evil plots and slanders of the wicked,” those things that keep us up at night.

Accordingly, the writer states with confidence that we have no need to fear attack in the daylight or at night. Safe within the protection of our God, he will allow no harm to come to us, no matter how or when. Psalm 46 says, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.” What a picture of calamity and upheaval, yet we are not to fear.

Certain Comfort Because of God’s Control

A thousand may fall at your side,
    ten thousand at your right hand,
    but it will not come near you.
You will only observe with your eyes
    and see the punishment of the wicked. Psalm 91:7-8

From my place of safety, I will only observe these things taking place. Before King Jehoshaphat went to battle with Moab and Ammon, the Spirit of the Lord spoke through Jahaziel, the son of Zechariah. “Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s … You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you…” (2 Chronicles 20:15-17)

Don’t you love that? “The battle is not yours, but God’s…” It reminds me of Romans 8:31, “If God is for us, who can be against us?”

Moreover, we are held safe, sequestered in the strongest fortress imaginable. Deuteronomy 33:25 says, “The bolts of your gates will be iron and bronze, and your strength will equal your days.” However long the battle lasts, no matter how much strength is needed to defeat the enemy, we are assured that our fortress will stand, and that our own strength for whatever is demanded of us, will be equal to the task.

Our Victory is Certain

Isaiah 54:17 assures us: “‘no weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and this is their vindication from me,” declares the Lord.” In a word, whatever the attack, our heritage is that of victory. God vindicates his people by the way he fights for us, and the way he enables us to stand.

If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,”
    and you make the Most High your dwelling,
no harm will overtake you,
    no disaster will come near your tent.
For he will command his angels concerning you
    to guard you in all your ways;
they will lift you up in their hands,
    so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
You will tread on the lion and the cobra;
    you will trample the great lion and the serpent. Psalm 91:9-13

In light of these verses, we learn the key to protection from all of our enemies, the outward attacks, and the inward trials is to make the Most High God our dwelling place. In other words, seek the Lord with our whole hearts, to go deep into his word, immerse ourselves in prayer, draw as near to him as is humanly possible. His angels will guard us in ALL our ways, no matter what we suffer, no matter how we are attacked, God will keep safe the souls that take refuge in him. He will guard us in all of our ways.

Certain Comfort Because Victory is Assured

Why will God do this for us? Who will he do this for?

“Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him;
    I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
He will call on me, and I will answer him;
    I will be with him in trouble,
    I will deliver him and honor him.
With long life I will satisfy him
    and show him my salvation.” Psalm 91:14-16

Accordingly, God’s promise of help, safety, and protection is for those who love him, who acknowledge his name. If you are struggling against fear and uncertainty. If you are under attack. Acknowledge him as your Lord and Savior. Seek him with all your heart and mind and soul. He will rescue you and protect you from the dangers of this world. Above all, our Lord will satisfy with long life and a certainty of your salvation.

However, God’s promises are not for everyone. His promises are for his people, those who confess their sins and seek his forgiveness. However, because of God’s promises, I can be assured that if I love him, if I belong to him, I am safe, no matter what comes against me. Certain comfort for uncertain times, indeed.

 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39