Psalm 91. The 91st Psalm. Just by way of introduction before
I read this psalm, This is the psalm that Satan himself used
to attempt to tempt Christ. And just the thought that Satan
used the scripture ought to let us know that this is a dangerous
book. You can use it for anything you
want. May the Lord deliver us from hearing anything but what
he says in his word. But just remember, Satan used
the scriptures to try to tempt Christ. Psalm 91. He that dwelleth in the secret
place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the
Almighty. I will say of the Lord, he is
my refuge and my fortress, my God, in him will I trust. Surely he shall deliver thee
from the snare of the fowler and from the noisome pestilence
He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings
shalt thou trust. His truth shall be thy shield
and buckler. Thou shalt not be afraid for
the terror by night, nor for the arrow that flyeth by day,
nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness, nor for the destruction
that wasteth at noonday. A thousand shall fall at thy
side, and ten thousand at thy right hand, but it shall not
come nigh thee. Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see
the reward of the wicked. Because thou hast made the Lord,
which is my refuge, even the most high thy habitation, there
shall no evil befall thee, Neither shall any plague come nigh thy
dwelling, for, and this is what Satan used with the Lord, he
shall give his angels charge over thee to keep thee in all
thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their
hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone. Thou shalt tread
upon the lion and adder, the young lion and the dragon shalt
thou trample under feet. Because he has said his love
upon me, therefore will I deliver him. I will set him on high because
he hath known my name. He shall call upon me and I will
answer him. I will be with him in trouble.
I will deliver him and honor him. With long life will I satisfy
him. and show him my salvation. Let's pray. Lord, we're so grateful to be
able to come into thy presence through thy son and believe that
we actually have your ear for his sake, that you hear us for his sake. And Lord, we ask
great things of thee. We ask that you would save us.
We ask that you would deliver us. We ask that you would reveal
your son to us. We ask that you would preserve
us. We ask that you would deliver us from using your holy word
and twisting it to promote our own ends. We pray that you would
be our teacher. We pray that Christ might be
exalted in our midst and that we might be enabled to worship
him. Lord, we confess our sins, we
pray for forgiveness and cleansing, and you've taught us to pray
when we pray to confess our sins. And Lord, we Take sides by your grace with
you against ourselves, and we pray that we might be found in
Christ. We pray for our friends that are traveling, those that
are away. We pray that you'd keep them. We pray for your people
wherever they meet together. We would remember your children
that are sick in body and mind. We pray for your blessing upon
them for Christ's sake. Meet with us for his sake in
his name we pray. Amen. Now like I said, this psalm was
actually used by Satan himself in order to attempt the Lord. And that gives us some fear going into the scriptures.
I don't want to misrepresent the Lord. You know, you can prove
anything you want to from the scriptures. As a matter of fact,
this psalm is used to teach that if you're a believer, Disease
won't hit you. You won't have troubles. I mean,
it promises here, promises from trouble, doesn't it? And you
can take a psalm like that without any understanding of the scriptures
and use it and abuse it toward that end. But you know that the
Bible does not mean that a believer is free from troubles and sickness. I've had cancer twice. Probably
get it again sometime. Hope not, but probably will.
We're not immune from troubles in any way. Psalm 91, verse one. He that dwelleth in the secret
place of the Most High shall abide Under the shadow of the
almighty. Now, where is this secret place? This place of refuge, this place
of safety. In Christ. I know what Paul meant
when he said, oh, that I may win Christ and be found in him. He's my hiding place. He's my
place of safety. He's my place of security. John said, and now little children
abide in him. Now, if I abide in him, you know
what that means? That means I don't want to be found anywhere but
in him. At all times, when God looks upon me, I want him to
see me in the Lord Jesus Christ so that all that he sees is Christ
and me in him. What a safe place to abide in
the secret place of the Most High, to abide under the shadow
of the almighty. The shadow means the continual
nearness of his presence. And don't forget, he's almighty. We can't even think of the Lord
without thinking of the fact that he's almighty. He's omnipotent. Anything he wills, he has because
he's almighty. Is anything too hard for the
Lord? Now he's not going to act contrary to his attributes, we
know that. But he's almighty. When Sarah laughed when she heard
that she would be with child, is anything too hard for the
Lord? No, he's almighty. Verse two, I will say of the
Lord, he is my refuge. He is my fortress. My God in
him will I trust. Now refuge is a shelter from
the storm. A fortress is a place of protection. My God. My God. If God be for me, who can be
against me? He's my God. I will be to them a God and they
shall be to me a people. This is true of every believer.
He is my God. In him will I trust. Now, every
time I read the word trust, I can't say every time, but a lot of
the times when I read the word trust, my mind is brought to
2 Timothy 1.12, where Paul said, I know whom I had believed. Because of who he is, I'm persuaded. He is able to keep that which
I've committed to him against that day. I know whom I have
believed. I trust. I trust that when the
Lord Jesus said, it is finished, my salvation was accomplished,
because I trust him. He's utterly trustworthy. He's
utterly faithful. Verse three says, surely, He
shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler and from the noisome
pestilence. Now he shall deliver thee from
the snare of the fowler. That's hidden traps. Things that
you don't see. They come suddenly. Satanic temptations
that come suddenly. Now, understand this with regard
to Satan. People in religion, they talk
about, say, he's wanting to ruin your life. He's wanting to make
you sick. He's wanting to do all these kinds. That's foolishness.
He doesn't care anything about you. He cares about the Lord. If you claim to believe him,
he wants you to not believe him. That's his agenda. It's not just
to ruin your life. He doesn't care about you. He
cares about destroying the glory of God. And if he can, he'll
use you to do that. And this snare of the fowler,
these sudden problems that are thrown into our... He'll deliver
you. You're no match for Satan. No
match at all. I'm no match for Satan. He will
deliver you. And from the noisome pestilence,
now that's destructive disease. Does that mean I won't get disease?
No, you're going to die of something. I always am amazed by these,
the Lord's going to heal you. Well, if he did, you're going
to die of something. And what this has given to us, whatever
that disease is, and we know that all things, including that
disease, work together for good, to them that love God, to them
who are called according to His purpose. You know, when, what's it called? The pandemic?
I've already forgotten what the name of it is. COVID, COVID.
When COVID was raging, Somebody says, you're afraid
of getting COVID. No, I'm not. If the Lord gives me COVID and
kills me with it, praise the Lord. You know, if I'm brought
right into Christ's presence, he is in control of all these
things. I'm just not concerned about them. Whatever the Lord
brings my way. Surely he should deliver thee
from the snare of the fowler, that hidden snare of the devil
and from the noisome pestilence. Verse four, he shall cover thee
with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust. Now here the Lord compares himself,
and I want to say this reverently, but he compares himself to a
hen protecting her chicks. They come and get under his wings,
and we're all called upon to do that. to abide under his wings,
just trusting his protection. The hawk comes and the chicks
run to the hen. The hen covers them with their
wings, they're protected. And we're called upon to come
to him like that with his promise of protection. Isn't that tender?
This is a promise of his tender protection. His truth, verse four. His truth
shall be thy shield and buckler. Now, the word shield is a pointed
thing. It's not the same word that's
generally translated shield, like I am thy shield and thy
exceeding great reward. It's a pointed thing. His truth
is your shield, your pointed thing, I guess your spear, and
your buckler. A buckler was a shield that covered
your entire body. where no arrows could get to
you. It wasn't just a small one, it was a big one. But what is
our shield and buckler? His truth. The truth of his character,
the truth of his gospel. I can't emphasize enough the
importance of the truth. You shall know the truth and
the truth shall make you free. Not your knowledge of the truth,
the truth's a person. He is the truth. The truth shall
make you free. We're bound to thank God always
for you, brother and beloved of the Lord, because God has
from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification
of the spirit and belief of the truth. There's no understanding of the
sanctification of the spirit apart from the belief of the
truth. That's what he always uses, the truth. You know, Lord
doesn't need air. People think, well, God can use
air. No, he doesn't. He's the truth. Why would he?
He's the truth. Verse five, thou shalt not be
afraid for the terror by night. Nor for the arrow that flyeth
by day, nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness, nor
for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. Thou shalt not be
afraid for the terror by night. Now what that's talking about
is things you don't see coming. What if tomorrow your spouse
dies? You didn't see that coming. You didn't see that coming at
all. Lord will protect you. There's
a lot of things that's going to happen to you and I that we
don't see coming. And I'm glad I don't see it coming. Aren't
you? I would want to dread what's going to take place, but that
arrow that comes so quickly that flies, um, or that terror that, uh, comes
by night that we don't see coming or the arrow that flyeth by day,
it arrives so quickly. Verse six, nor for the pestilence
that walketh in darkness, the disease, the germs. You know, one little germ can
turn me and you into a basket case. That's how fragile we all
are. One little chemical can get out
of whack and we can turn into raven maniacs. One little germ
of disease, but the Lord is in control of everything and you
and I have nothing to fear. Now, when he's talking about
the destruction that wasteth at noonday, I have no doubt that
when he's speaking that he's talking about judgment. When
everybody at noon, where everybody can see there's a destruction
that's going to waste. And that's the only time this
word is used in the Bible. It's utter and complete devastation. Now look what he says in verse
seven. This is why I know this is talking about judgment. A
thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right
hand, but it shall not come nigh thee. Only with thine eye shalt
thou behold and see the reward of the wicked." Now, this is
referring to Judgment Day, and he's telling the believer, you'll
see the reward of the wicked. And that's a scary thought, isn't
it? To think of somebody going to hell. I don't know of anything
that I don't like to think about it, but I know it. God's a God
of justice. And when he sends somebody to
hell, they're getting exactly what they deserve. You can't
think, well, God's being harsh. No, he's not. The punishment
always fits the crime with God perfectly. And you're going to
see this, but it's not going to come to you. And I don't understand
this, and you don't understand it either, but on Judgment Day,
when we think of loved ones going to hell, we cringe. We can't
even stand to think about it. But on Judgment Day, when we
see things in perfect perspective, as God sees them, just and right
and holy and true are all His ways. And we'll understand that
then, at that time. In a way, we can't understand
it now. But it says we'll see 10,000 fall at our right hand,
but that judgment will not come nigh unto us. You see, there
is no condemnation. to them that are in Christ Jesus,
no condemnation. Verse nine, because thou has
made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most high thy habitation.
Now, once again, this is exactly what Paul meant when he said,
Oh, that I may win Christ and be found in him. Don't let that
verse of scripture ever get far from you. Don't let the truth
of that scripture ever get far from you. I just want to be found
in him. I won't leave a legacy. No, I won't be found in him.
I want people to know my name. No, I want to be found in him.
I want to be found in him. Now, the Lord says, because and
you've made the Lord your habitation, abiding in Christ, only wanting
to dwell in this glorious person and nowhere else. Because thou
hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most high
thy habitation, verse 10, there shall no evil befall thee, neither
shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. Now, like I said, this
verse of scripture is used by faith healers. You know, if you
have faith, no plagues can come near you. If you have enough
faith, you won't get COVID. Tell Lindsey Campbell that he
was a man of faith. He died of COVID. It was the
Lord's way of bringing him into his presence. It was all good.
And what this is saying is it's all good. All things work together for
good. Nothing's going to destroy you.
Nothing's going to hurt you. Everything is good. Everything is good. Whatever evil comes your way,
whatever plague comes your way, it's all good because all things
work together for good to them that love God, to them who were
called according to his purpose. So if I use that scripture to
say, if you have enough faith, no evil befall thee, neither
shall any plague come into thy dwelling. I've missed the point,
but I'll tell you what in Christ, no plague or evil comes into
my dwelling, does it? Because my dwelling place is
in the Lord Jesus Christ and I'm safe and secure in him. Verse 11. Now this is what Satan
used with the Lord Jesus. For he shall give his angels
charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear
thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against the
stone. Now remember, Satan said to the Lord, brought him up to
the top of the pinnacle of the temple. I don't know how that
works, but there they were. And he says, jump. and prove
that you are who you say you are, and the angels will catch
you when you jump. Prove it. Give us a sign. Now, I have no doubt that Satan
was there at the baptism of Christ, and he heard the Father say from
heaven, this is my beloved son. Now, if God says that, is anything
else needed? Any proof? Any signs? Well, Satan
said, give us a sign. I know God said that, prove it.
That's where the Lord said, you're not to tempt the Lord thy God. That would be tempting him. His
words are nothing. Anytime I look for a sign, I'm
wrong. Somebody says, I need a sign
to believe the word. No, you don't believe the word.
I need a sign to show me whether I ought to do this or not. Well, if the Bible says to do
it, do it. And to say a sign, I need a sign to show me that's
unbelief. That's disobedience. That's all
that is. And Satan was asking for a sign,
give us a sign. And so this is a warning to us
how the scriptures can be used and abused and twisted to promote
anything you want. I ask you to pray for me that
when I'm preaching the word, I preach the word and I don't
use it to promote my own doctrine and my own agenda and try to
prove the stuff I believe. No, the Bible is not to be used
in that way, the way Satan used it. Now, let's go on reading.
Oh, let me, that being said. Every believer does have an angel
watching over them. You have an angel. Now, I don't
know anything or much about angels other than what the scripture
tells us about them. They're greater in power and might than
we are. But you do have an angel. The Lord said their angels do
always behold the face of their father, talking about his little
ones. Every believer has an angel watching over him. One of the
Lord's angels and angels are real. We know very little about
them, but we have what the scripture says. They'll bear us up. Verse 13. Thou shalt tread upon the lion
and the adder, the poisonous snake, the young lion and the
dragon, shalt thou trample under feet. That's another reminder
of Romans 8, 28, all things. work together for good to them
that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose.
I hope the Lord will just put that in our heart. You can walk
through a, now I'm not suggesting to go through a den of snakes,
poison snakes that prove you believe God. Of course, we're
not doing that, but I know this, no snake can hurt me apart from
the Lord. And even if he does bite me,
it's for my good and his glory. Verse 14 now, because he has
said his love upon me. Now that could be spoken of the
Lord Jesus Christ. It is spoken of the Lord Jesus
Christ. As a matter of fact, everything here can be spoken
of the Lord Jesus Christ, because that's the way Satan used it
with regard to him. But it's us too. It's us too. Now look what he says, because
he has set his love upon me. Now, Unfortunately, I don't know
whether that's a word that ought to be used, but I'm going to
use it. Unfortunately, whenever we think of love to him, we start
thinking about our love rather than him. We start thinking,
I don't love him enough. You're right. I don't love him
as passionately as I should. You're right. But let's forget
about the your part. Let's think about him. His holiness, His sovereignty,
His justice, His power, His wisdom, His salvation, His grace, His
mercy. Do you love Him? I do. I wouldn't
change Him if I could. If it were in my power to change
the Lord, I wouldn't. And that's the only being that
that can be said of. If you lived with me, you would
find many things you'd want to change, but not with him. I love what Scott Richardson
said. He said, if I had omnipotence, I'd change things. If I had omniscience,
I would leave things exactly as they are because he is the
first cause and in control of everything. Because he has said his love
upon me, therefore will I deliver him. I'll save him. I will set
him on high because he's known my name. Now, I know his name. That doesn't just mean I know
his name is Christ Jesus, or Jehovah, or El Shaddai, or His
name is His attributes. It's the person behind the name. And every believer knows the
Lord. That's why I know when I'm hearing
somebody that's not Him, because I know Him. When I hear of a
God that's not absolutely sovereign, that's not my God. That's not
the God of the Bible. When I hear of a Christ who wants
things but can't do them unless we let him, that's not the Christ
of the Bible. You see, I know him. I know his
character because he's made himself known in his word. The only way
I know him is because he made himself known to me. I wouldn't
know him had he not made himself known, but I know him. And the
psalmist says, I will set him on high Because he has known my name,
now that, we're seated together in the heavenly places in Christ
right now. That's what Ephesians 2, 6 says. Talking about a high
place. Talking about a place of absolute security in Christ. I'm in heaven right now and I
love saying this. Somebody says, I'm as sure for
heaven as if I was already there. I'm better than that. I am already
there in Christ. I'm there in him. He shall call upon me. And I
will answer him. Now that can't be said of everybody.
Only believers. He shall call upon me and I will
answer him. I will be with him in trouble. Notice there will be trouble.
There will be trouble. But I will be with him. What more could you want? I will
be with him. I will deliver him and honor
him. Now, here's how the Lord views
every believer with honor. Holy and unblameable and unreprovable
in God's sight. Now, what honor the Lord places
on a believer. You think, how could that be
in Christ? You're an object of honor to
him. Holy and unblameable and unreprovable
in his sight. Thou art all fair, my love. There
is no spot in thee. What honor. With long life will
I satisfy him and show him my salvation. Now that's not talking
about You know, I heard some young people in the, I was in
the gym with them, and I heard, listened to them talk, and they
said, I think maybe I can live to 100 years old. And I thought
to say, buddy, you don't want to. That is a lot of difficult
years. The long life is not talking
about length of, Our span, that's talking about eternal life. Eternity
with Jesus Christ, the Lord. With long life will I satisfy
him. And David put it this way. As
for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness. I'll be satisfied
when I awake in thy likeness. Amen.