St. John’s University, Collegivelle, MN, 56231 2006
Tuesday, June 16
By Edie Dutton
PSALM 91
1 Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
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 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.”
What an appropriate psalm for today! As I read different commentaries regarding Psalm 91, there were many opinions…Moses wrote it, no David wrote it, nope it was a temple worker; it might be a Messianic psalm. However, there were a few things on which they did and we can agree. This is a psalm of hope! Our tasks are simple. We are called to dwell near God (vs 1 & 9), acknowledge God (vs 2 & 14), call on Him (vs 15), and love God (vs 14). He does the rest and provides us a myriad of protections and gifts. I love the beautiful imagery in this psalm regarding God’s protection…shelter, shadow, refuge, fortress, wings, shield, and rampart. I also find it interesting that the beginning of the psalm is from a human voice, and the psalm concludes with God confirming the earlier verses. Very comforting!
Those who know me well know two things about me: 1) that my first language is music. It is how I express anger, joy and sadness, worship and gain comfort, tithe my gifts, how I best remember scripture and connect with others. 2) I am a bit of a worrier and like to control my environment. I have to confess worry and trying to be “in control” are two of my biggest daily sins. Today’s environment is NOT conducive to my personality type…Corona Virus, adjusting to the “new normal” in jobs and school, Murder Hornets, racial tensions, and uncertain schedules/practices ahead. However, during this time of upheaval and uncertainty, I have found myself amazingly at peace, overall. I have walked through valleys before, and God has sustained me and given me silver linings in all circumstances. It is easier today because I have exercised these spiritual muscles before and know that He is walking with me. The lines of this psalm (song) start the soundtrack in my head of at least 3 different anthems I have sung over the years. What a gift from God, in “my language” Thank you! I am attaching the audio of the most recent anthem here.
This psalm, in light of 2020 events, reminds me of another favorite verse: John 16:33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” Amen
Reflection:
We are called to dwell near God, acknowledge God, call on God and love God. What does that look like in my daily life? How can I show/share that to/with the hurting world around me?
Confess to God the “daily sins” that may not be great in the eyes of the world but keep you from dwelling as close to God as you might. What is one small step/change you can make to draw closer?
What is your “first language” or how does God communicate most effectively to you? Art, nature, music, poetry, interaction with people, serving, etc. Thank God for that language.