Much of the world is filled with fear right now. You need to know that God is greater than what is happening in the world right now. He is our shield and protection.
1 Peter 5:7 NIV Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.
1 Peter 5:7 NLT Give all your worries and cares to God, for He cares about what happens to you.
You can trust God to take care of you.
This is one of our basic needs in a troubled world. We want to find someone that cares who can help in our distresses and troubles.
Psalm 46:1-3 NKJV God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, Even though the earth be removed, And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though its waters roar and be troubled, Though the mountains shake with its swelling. Selah
We just spent a few weeks looking at Isaiah 61.
This is the prophecy of Jesus the Messiah that He read in the synagogue in Nazareth.
Isaiah 61:1-3 NIV The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion— To bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of His splendor.
These verses reflect the positive care that God intends to give in exchange for the negative things in our lives.
- He will give good news.
- He will give freedom for captives.
- He will give release for prisoners.
- He will give God’s favor.
- He will comfort the mourners.
- He will give beauty for ashes.
- He will replace gladness for your mourning.
- He will cover you with praise instead of despair.
If we will give God all of our worry, concern, anxiety, and care, God will give us the peace and joy of knowing that He will take care of all of those things.
Psalm 91:1-2 NKJV He who dwells 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 I will trust.”
Psalm 91:3-10 NKJV Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler And from the perilous pestilence. He shall cover you with His feathers, And under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler. You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, Nor of the arrow that flies by day, Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday. A thousand may fall at your side, And ten thousand at your right hand; But it shall not come near you. Only with your eyes shall you look, And see the reward of the wicked. Because you have made the Lord, Who is my refuge, Even the Most High, your dwelling place, No evil shall befall you, Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling;
Don’t be afraid!
Psalm 91:5-6 NKJV You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, Nor of the arrow that flies by day, Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.
God says, “Fear not.”
The first occurrence of the word “fear not” [`âl- tî-râ] was spoken to Abram. God said, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.” When pestilence walks in darkness and destructions lays waste at noonday, YOU SHALL NOT BE AFRAID! When you put your trust in the Lord, you do not have to be afraid.
Kept through the Father’s love and name.
Psalm 91:7-8 NKJV A thousand may fall at your side, And ten thousand at your right hand; But it shall not come near you. Only with your eyes shall you look, And see the reward of the wicked.
God knows how to keep you from evil.
In John 17, we have the record of the Lord’s Prayer.
During this prayer, the Lord prays for everyone the Father has given Him.
John 17:9-11 NKJV “I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours. And all Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine, and I am glorified in them. Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are.
John 17:23 NKJV I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.
You are protected through Jesus because the Father loves you “as He loved His Son.” You can live without fear because the Father loves you. His perfect love cast out fear.
Trust in God’s faithfulness.
Psalm 91:4 NKJV He shall cover you with His feathers, And under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler.
Some translations say, “His faithfulness shall be your shield.” Another says, “His faithful promises are your armor and protection.” The Father’s faithfulness will be your shield, armor and protection. God is faithful to His promises.
2 Thessalonians 3:3 KJV But the Lord is faithful, who shall establish you, and keep you from evil.
God is able to keep you from evil because He is faithful. The protection given in Psalms 91 is because God is faithful.
We can find rest in God Almighty.
Psalm 91:1 NKJV He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
The word “dwells” means to “sit down and pass the night.” The night season is a time of uncertainty and difficulty.
We must DWELL in the secret place or shelter of the Most High.
Dwelling in His presence gives us rest from the care.
The Hebrew word for dwell means “to inhabit, sit down, abide, dwell, remain, tarry, continue.”
The promise is to those who dwell.
In the difficult times, we can sit down under the shadow of el’ Shaddai (God Almighty).
He who sits in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
We must dwell IN THE SECRET PLACE of the Most High.
There is a special place to dwell. Dwell in the secret place of the Most High.
SAY·THER is the Hebrew for a covert, secret, hiding place.
There is a hiding place. It is a place of protection. It is a place of covering. This is where we find safety from all of our enemies. God has a secret place for you.
If we can come into this secret place of the Most High we can remain under the shadow of the Almighty.
God has become our refuge and our fortress. We are found leaning on the Lord. We trust and rely on our God. We are confident in His presence. He has become our firm confidence and trust. We are going to remain and be blessed.
Keep your focus on Jesus!
Psalm 91:2 NIV84 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”
All some people can talk about is the trouble, the pestilence, the virus, the darkness and the destruction.
If you fix your trust on the Lord, you get the blessing of His help.
God is ready to come to your assistance. He is loaded with the blessing of the Lord.
When we do what verses 1 and 2 tell us, we are given the blessings of the rest of the Psalm.
God is ready to deliver us. He is prepared to cover us. He will keep us from fear and terror. He will protect us against evil plots and slander. We will have no fear of pestilence, destruction or sudden death.
The remainder of Psalm 91 shows us the blessing of making the Lord our refuge and dwelling place
- No evil shall befall you.
- No plaque or calamity will come near your home.
- He will give His angels charge over you.
- God will keep you from the consequences of accidents.
- God will keep you from evil intent.
- God will deliver you.
- God will answer your prayer.
- God will honor you.
- God will satisfy you.
- God will save you.
We are in a position of power and authority. We are in a position of favor and influence with God. We are in the place where the fullness of God’s favor is realized. This is the place of safety and protection. This is the place of Holy Spirit fullness. This is where God opens heaven’s blessing for us.
God is ready to respond to our trust in Him.
If you are loaded down with cares, worry and anxiety, put your trust in the Lord.
We must stay focused on the Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Peter 5:6-7 NIV Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.
Casting our care on the Lord is coming to the place where we learn to depend on and rely on the Lord.
We need to have a positive confession about the Lord’s care and protection.
Start saying:
- The Lord is my Help.
- The Lord is my Refuge.
- The Lord is my Shelter.
- The Lord is my Defense.
- The Lord is my Fortress.
- The Lord is my Deliverer.
- The Lord is my Shield.
- The Lord is my Salvation.
- The Lord is my Healer.
- The Lord is my Strength.
- The Lord is my Rock.
- The Lord is my Protector.
- The Lord is my Foundation.
I will not be afraid. I will not be moved.
The Psalmist said, “Cast your burden on the Lord, and He shall sustain you.” (Psalms 55:22)
