Psalm 91
Many Christians treat Psalm 91 like a fortune cookie statement. They quote it before a trip. They claim it before a surgery. They repeat it, repeatedly, during difficult times. And they blame God when tribulations still come.
The secret place is not a biblical mantra to be recited. And it’s more than a place to visit on Sunday mornings.
The secret place is the Christian’s habitat. It’s where we live. It’s not a convenience store of refreshments, energy drinks, and fuel. Rather, it’s the natural environment of God’s presence. Where he nurtures and sustains us. Where we grow and develop. It’s where we are loved and unconditionally accepted. It’s where we feel safe, our refuge and fortress.
The songwriter specifically names the dangers (vss. 3-13). The never-meant-to-be -seen trap. The illness that creeps upon us. The terrors that keep us awake at night. And the trouble that attacks in broad daylight. The encounters with infections and viruses from both sides. The midday “destruct ions” that can’t be guarded against; crazy drivers and terrorists.
God’s protection isn’t tied to a singular danger. He protects us from all dangers. And note this: “A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.” That’s not a promise of a trouble-free or illness-free life. Jesus said, “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33 KJV).
In Him, we have the peace of knowing that no matter how close the danger comes, it will not defeat us because He has already overcome it.
Psalm 91 is not a get-out-of-trouble formula to recite. It’s actually the image of living “in the secret place of The Most High.”
We do not access refuge and security by repeating scripture verses or phrases. We possess them by living in that secret place, protected by the shadow of His presence.
How do we enter and possess that secret place? God tells us (v. 14). The one who lives there does so because, God says, “he hath set his love upon me.” This love is neither mere fondness nor superficial affection. It is not intellectual infatuation. It is loving Him with all our being because “He first loved us” (1 John 4:19), and “gave Himself for us” (Galatians 2:20).
And, God continues, because “he hath known my name.” This knowing isn’t head knowledge about Him. This is not simply knowing a name. It’s knowing who He is, the heavenly Father. The good shepherd. It’s knowing Him, in your heart, so deeply that you can’t live without Him.
Under the shadow of the Almighty there is deliverance from evil. He raises you above the impact of evil. He hears and answers your prayers. He walks with you in the fire. He honors you despite the evil. He satisfies you with a long life. But the greatest of all, He is your salvation.
Read the text again slowly and thoughtfully. Psalm 91 was never a guarantee against affliction or tribulation. Rather, it is a guarantee of God’s protective presence in the midst of them.
That’s why He’s my God; it’s why I trust Him.
What about you?