The Holy Spirit inspired the writer of Psalm 91 to show believers the great blessing of dwelling in God’s presence. Moses and the Israelites had found that when they walked under the shadow of the pillar of cloud and under the protection of the pillar of fire, they were protected, found safety and had provision. Throughout their wanderings in the wilderness, God was a shield and a fortress. They always had what they needed when they dwelt in God’s presence.
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.”
After making these confessions of faith and trust in God, the last three verses give God’s provision for those who dwell under the shadow of the Almighty.
Psalm 91:14 NKJV “Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name.
He has set his love upon Me
God is making a series of promises of His provision for those who set their love upon Him. God knows your heart. In Psalm 27, David spoke about that inner hunger or burning heart desire to be near God.
Psalm 27:4 NKJV One thing I have desired of the Lord, That will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord All the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the Lord, And to inquire in His temple.
As king, David could have had anything his heart desired. The one thing his heart desired was to be near God. His heart was aflame with love for God.
Psalm 27:8 NKJV When You said, “Seek My face,” My heart said to You, “Your face, Lord, I will seek.”
Have you set your heart upon God?
God has already determined how He will provide for those who seek to dwell in His presence, whose hearts are set upon Him.
Psalm 91:14 NKJV Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name.
God promised to provide deliverance.
When you set your love upon the Lord, God says, “I will deliver you.” Moses and Israel found that place of safety and security under the shadow of the Almighty. Only God is able to deliver from all kinds of danger and trouble. He is able to bring you to a place of safety and security. If your heart is set upon the Lord, if you have set your love upon the Lord, God will deliver you.
This is a good time to tell the Lord how much you love Him.
Then God promised to set him on high.
When you love the Lord and seek to dwell in His presence, God is going to bring you up higher. This text is talking about knowing the Lord personally. God is able to bring you up and out of your dangers. We go through many low valleys and deep waters, but the Lord will lift us up. The word that is translated “set him on high” means “exalt.” God is going to take you from being under the power and influence of your troubles and distresses and bring you into His house. He is going to call you by your name and claim you as His own special child.
He has known My name…
The next phrase says, “he has known My name.” This is not just learning the various names of God. This is intimate knowledge that only comes by dwelling under the shadow of the Almighty. This is a recognized familiarity with the Lord God. Jesus spoke of a time when the Holy Spirit would abide in your innermost being. Galatians 4:6 tells us, ‘God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!”’
God is going to deliver those who are devoted to Him.
Psalm 91:15 NKJV He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him.
He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him…
There is a closeness, attentiveness, and intimacy that is presented in this verse. When you pray, God has promised to always answer.
God is saying, “I will respond to your call.”
When your innermost being seeks God’s presence, God has given promise that they will find Him. God was speaking to Jeremiah and said, “You will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart.” Then God said, “I will be found by you!” (Jeremiah 29:12-13). When your heart is set upon the Lord, you will find Him. He will be Jehovah Shammah (the Lord is there) for you. This is a provision that God gives to those that love Him. Your answer is coming. Whenever difficult times come, God will not abandon you! He is a very present help in your times of trouble.
I will be with him in trouble…
Even if you walk through the valley of the shadow of death, the Lord will not abandon you. When you make the Lord your refuge and dwelling place, the Most High God will not abandon you in your troubles.
God is promising to be with you regardless of what may come.
You will never walk through trouble, difficulties, or distresses alone. It is good news that the Lord will not leave you or forsake you, but He is not finished with His promise.
I will deliver him…
Deliverance shows God’s power to rescue and restore. When you call out, regardless of how softly you call, God will answer and will deliver. God has promised to get you out, lift you up, and restore what the enemy has destroyed. I want to remind you that the Lord of Host has thousands upon thousands of angels. He is the God of all power and might. God Almighty said, “I will deliver you.” This is God’s promise to get you out of trouble.
I will honor him…
This may take some by surprise. God is going to exalt you to honor.
Isaiah 62:12 NKJV And they shall call them The Holy People, The Redeemed of the Lord; And you shall be called Sought Out, A City Not Forsaken.
God was speaking to Isaiah about a people that had been forsaken and in bondage.
God says, “I will honor them.”
In Romans 9:26, God promised that where you have been despised, you shall be called sons of the living God. When the Lord delivers, He always brings us up. The Lord’s salvation brings honor and glory. You remember when God told Moses to go back into Egypt and bring his people out. Moses had miserably failed earlier in his life. Now he went back to bring God’s people out and God promised to go with him. It appeared to Moses that the task was too great for him to accomplish, but God promised to deliver His people. With a mighty hand God brought them out of bondage and captivity. When they came out, they faced the Red Sea, but God got them across. In Deuteronomy 8:15 Moses testified, “God led them through that great and terrible wilderness, in which were fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty land where there was no water.” Then he said, “You gave us water out of the flinty rock and fed us in the wilderness with bread from heaven.” God protected them from the sun with a pillar of cloud and from the cold with a pillar of fire.
God looks on His children and proclaims His blessing and honor upon them.
Psalm 91:16 NKJV With long life I will satisfy him, And show him My salvation.”
God is promising the blessing of satisfaction of days.
When they were under the power of their enemies, life was difficult and filled with sorrows. God is promising to satisfy. That word satisfy means, “meet the expectations, needs or desires.” God is going to provide you with adequate proof of His blessing on your life.
When the Apostle Paul was near the end of his journey he spoke to Timothy.
2 Timothy 4:7-8 ESV I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.
When we finish with this world and life, we shall be satisfied. We have a promise beyond this life and the grave. You need to consider everything that the Lord has brought you through. This Psalm helps us remember the ways that the Lord has been our refuge and strength. He has delivered us from the lion and the cobra. He has lifted us up and given His angels charge over us to keep us in all of our ways.
He has shielded us on the right and on the left. When we have faced pestilence, destruction, and the snare of the enemy, God has helped us and delivered. The ultimate promise is God’s salvation and eternal life.
There is more than adequate provision in God’s presence.
If you abide under the shadow of the Almighty, He will be your refuge and fortress. He will cover you with His feathers and give you a place of refuge. God Almighty will be your shield and buckler. He will give His angels charge over you to keep you in all your ways. No evil shall befall you and no plague shall come near your dwelling.
