I receive the peace that Jesus gives to me to guard my heart and mind. I will not be afraid because He is my refuge and fortress no matter where I am.
Because of Jesus and His finished work on the cross, there is nothing that is too hard or too advanced for the Lord to deliver me from.
When Psalm 91 says that you shall not be afraid of “the pestilence that walks in darkness,” it speaks of every epidemic, every virus, every deadly disease, and every outbreak. When it mentions “the destruction that lays waste at noonday,” it covers all accidents and outward destruction. When it talks about the “arrow that flies by night,” it covers all projectiles, including even modern missiles that can shoot down planes.
The word Shalom refers to completeness, safety, soundness, welfare, health, and supply. It also refers to peace, quiet, tranquillity, and contentment, as well as friendship in human relationships and with God in a covenant relationship. So if you think that Jehovah Shalom just gives you peace of mind you are wrong. When you receive the Lord as Jehovah Shalom in your life, you are receiving so much more!
You may be making some decisions at your work, for your children, or perhaps even where and when to travel for your vacation. Talk to Jesus about it. He will lead and guide you with His peace. If there is peace from the Lord, go with that decision. If there is an absence of peace and you feel a sense of restraint, back away from it. You will find that guidance from the Lord comes very easily when God manifests Himself as Jehovah Shalom.
Are there moments when you feel besieged by fear? When you hear reports of terror or exposure to some virus, do you feel fearful and anxious? Has fear driven you into hiding? The truth is, regardless of how you feel, when our Lord Jesus looks at you right now, He sees you as mighty man or mighty woman of courage.
Grace qualifies us for protection. Because Jesus paid the price, we who are in Him have a right to walk in divine health and protection. When the devil accuses you, saying, “How dare you believe God for protection, when you are (he goes on to your list of failures),” you just have to point to Jesus’ blood, which has paid for all your failures.
Psalm 91 reminds us that we have round-the-clock protection. Whether it is at night or in the day. Whether it is in darkness or at noonday. Whether we are faced with a terror or confronted by arrows. Whether pestilence is threatened or destruction looms. We do not have to be afraid because our God, who watches over us, neither slumbers nor sleeps (see Psalm 121:3-4)!
Psalm 91:4 starts with “He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge” and ends with this proclamation: “His truth shall be your shield and buckler.” What is the shield and buckler? A buckler refers to a small round shield used for close-contact fighting. A shield is much larger, one you can dig into the ground and hide behind when spears, arrows, or rocks are being launched at you in a bigger attack. So whether it is a small or big attack, His truth - your shield and buckler - covers you completely!
Beloved, when we are willing to have the Lord Jesus protect us and our family, and we take time daily to let Him know we are putting our trust in Him, we receive His abundant mercies for needs that transcend our understanding.
The Lord does not want you to simply claim His promises of protection. He wants you to come close to Him. Running to Him and coming under His feathers speak of closeness. It's not about how many times you have recited Psalm 91; it's about having an intimate relationship with Him.
Beloved, are you willing to have the Lord Jesus protect you and your family today? Then tell him. Let’s never take our Lord’s protection for granted. Instead, let’s take time daily to let Him know that we are putting our trust in Him for his covering and protection.
It was an empty tomb that our Saviour was laid in after He paid the full price for our sins with His own blood. Today, this tomb remains empty because all our sins are forgiven and our Lord is risen! Our hope, confidence, and assurance of salvation are found in the nail-pierced hands of our resurrected Saviour.
In Old Testament times, once a year, on Yom Kippur, or the Day of Atonement, the high priest would go into the Holy of Holies and sprinkle the blood of an innocent animal on the mercy seat. After the blood of the sacrifice was sprinkled on the mercy seat, all God saw of the ark of the covenant was the blood, and no longer the rebellion and failure of man.
It is wonderful when the Lord delivers you from the snare of the fowler. But Psalm 91 tells us that God wants us to step into something even better. Verse 4 goes on to say, “He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge.” There are so many powerful truths hidden in this simple line!
The New Testament is written in Greek, but Jesus being a Jew must have said, “I am the Aleph and the Tav.” He is the first letter and the last letter. The beginning and the end. So the letters ‘Aleph’ and ‘Tav’ point to our Lord Jesus, who has the first and final word on your situations. Your diseases don't have the last word; He does. Your problems don't have the final say; He does.
Even with something as mundane as driving on the road, which many of us do every day, we need to make it a point to pray for the Lord’s protection. Let’s not put our trust in our daily routines, our skills, or our limited ability to foresee danger. Our trust must be in the Lord’s protection.
We all need the Lord in our daily lives no matter how intelligent we are, we can't put ourselves at the right place at the right time 100% of the time. Only the Lord can do this for us. If we stay “low” and lean on the Lord for wisdom, guidance, and understanding, He will guide us and protect us. To pray is to adopt a posture of humility. It is saying to God, “Father, I can't, but You can.”
The Holy Spirit leads us on the wavelength of peace. Sometimes, when you are about to do something, perhaps sign an agreement, plan a vacation, or take part in some activity, you might feel a lack of peace. If that happens, please stop and take time to pray about what you are about to do because the Holy Spirit speaks to us through the peace (or lack of it) He puts in us.
The Hebrew word for “time” is the word eth, meaning time or season. The Hebrew words for “chance happen” are pega qarah. Together with eth, they present a picture not of random occurrences, but “right happenings” that are dependent on the Lord’s orchestration.