Abiding Safely in the Presence of The Eternal God

 By: Dr. Dale Weckbacher

 

Text: Psalm 90-91

 

Psalm 91:1

He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High
Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

(NKJV)

 

Living in a fallen world means we live in a world full of chaos, hatred, and evil. With 24-hour news, the internet, and social media, we are constantly bombarded with what is happening in the world. Isaiah 26:3 reminds us that perfect peace comes when we focus our attention on God, which is not easy to do when the world constantly bombards our minds with its agenda. This is why Disciples of Christ need discipline through daily study of the Word of God and prayer.

 

Moses begins this Psalm by declaring that God, the creator of all the earth, has been Israel’s dwelling place in all generations (Psalm 90:1-2). The Lord turns man to destruction while telling the children of men to return (Psalm 90:3). To God, a thousand years is like a day or a watch in the night (Psalm 90:4). The Lord carries the children of men away, for they are sheep or grass, which grows in the morning and is cut down and withers in the evening (Psalm 90:5-6).

 

The people have been consumed by the Lord’s anger, and are terrified by His wrath, with our iniquities before Him and the light of His countenance shining on our secret sins (Psalm 90:7-8). Our days pass away under God’s wrath, which are seventy years and eighty if one is strong (Psalm 90:9-10). We must learn to number our days to gain a heart of wisdom because who can know the power of the Lord’s anger as we fear His wrath (Psalm 90:11-12).

 

How long before the Lord returns to have compassion on His servants (Psalm 90:13). Oh Lord, satisfy us early with Your mercy so we can rejoice and be glad all of our days (Psalm 90:14). Make us glad according to the days You afflict us, the years in which we have seen evil (Psalm 90:15). Let the work of the Lord appear to His servants, His glory to their children, and let the Lord’s beauty be upon us, establishing the work of our hands (Psalm 90:16-17).

 

One who dwells in the secret place of the Most High, abides in the shadow of the Almighty, and has Him as his refuge and strength as he trusts in Him (Psalm 91:1-2). His God will deliver him from the snare of the fowler, one who catches birds, and from perilous pestilence (Psalm 91:3). This man shall be covered by the Lord’s feathers and find refuge under His wings with His truth as a buckler and shield, having no fear of the night nor the arrow that flies in the day (Psalm 91:4-5). He will also have no fear of pestilence that walks in the darkness, or the destruction that lays waste at noonday (Psalm 91:6).

 

A thousand may fall at his side and ten thousand at his right hand, but it will not come near him, with only his eyes seeing the reward of the wicked (Psalm 91:7-8). No evil or plague shall come upon him because he has made the Lord his refuge and dwelling place (Psalm 91:9-10). The angels of the Lord shall lift him up in their hands, keeping him in all his ways (Psalm 91:11-12). He shall tread upon the lion and cobra, trampling underfoot the young lion and serpent (Psalm 91:13). He has deliverance because he has decided to love the Lord and is set on high because he is known by His name (Psalm 91:14). He is honored and satisfied with long life and salvation, and when calling upon the Lord when in trouble, the Lord will answer him (Psalm 91:15-16).

 

The psalms are a collection of men offering heartfelt praise to God and pleadings to God when in trouble. Psalm 90 is a psalm of Moses contrasting the eternity of God with the frailty of fallen man. Psalm 91 is praise for the safety of abiding in the presence of God.

• Psalm 90 – The psalm begins with praise for God as the creator and the dwelling place for His people in all generations (Psalm 90:1-2). The psalm then turns its attention to the state of sinful man, whom God has turned to destruction, with a heart that seeks their return to Him (2 Peter 3:9). While a thousand years is like one day to the Lord, the life expectancy of man is seventy to eighty years, making our lives just a blip of time in God’s timeframe. However, frail and fallen man has hope because God has sent His only Son, with those choosing to believe in Him having eternal life (John 3:16).
• Psalm 91 – This psalm praises the safety of abiding in the presence of God. One choosing to live in the secret place of the Most High God lives under the shadow of His presence and has God as a refuge and fortress. In this position, one has deliverance from the snares and pestilences of life with God as his shield (Ephesians 6:10-18; Psalm 91:3-4). In this position, one need not fear terrors by night, the fiery arrows of the enemy, pestilence, or destruction (Psalm 91:5-6). God’s angels have charge over him, lifting him up so he does not dash his foot against a stone (Psalm 91:11-12). This man will enjoy long life and the salvation of God (Psalm 91:16).

 

Disciples of Christ serve as ambassadors in a fallen world and will come to grips with the frailty of their flesh while placing their hope in the eternal God. Our hope while on this earth is the assurance of living safely in the presence of God. Not only will these disciples have safety on earth, but also a blessed hope in the return of Jesus in the air to rescue them from the Great Tribulation, and unto life in the millennial reign of Christ, and an eternal residence in the New Jerusalem (Revelation 20:4-6, 21:9-21; 1 Thessalonians 4:17). As ambassadors, our mission is to declare this message to the world and make disciples (Matthew 28:19-20).

 

The first step to becoming a disciple of Christ is to make Him the Lord of your life, done by confessing a heartfelt belief in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ (Romans 10:9-10). If you are reading this and have never taken this important first step to becoming a disciple of Christ, I invite you to do so now by praying with me.

 

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23). I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9). I believe you died, spent three days in the grave, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

 

If you meant what you just prayed, know that God has forgiven all your sins and that you now have a relationship with God and are a child of God (Romans 8:16). Like any relationship, it grows as we get to know each other. While God already knows all about us, we must study the Bible, the word of God, to learn more about Him. If you just prayed, I encourage you to find a Church that teaches the truth of the Bible so you can learn more about the Lord. May God convict, challenge, and bless everyone reading this post.