In the Chris Tomlin song “Whom Shall I Fear (God of Angel Armies)”, some of the lyrics state, “You are faithful” and “I’m holding on to Your promises.” With current world events, many believers are using Psalm 91 for encouragement, strength and promises of deliverance.
Does God actually promise deliverance, or is it just that man cries out to be delivered? The short answer is both. The Bible records many cries from man for deliverance. One that quickly comes to mind is the Israelites crying to God in their Egyptian bondage. Now it happened in the process of time that the king of Egypt died. Then the children of Israel groaned because of the bondage, and they cried out; and their cry came up to God because of the bondage. (Ex. 2:23)
Another example is Jonah 2:1-2, “Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the fish’s belly. And he said: “I cried out to the Lord because of my affliction, and He answered me. Out of the belly of Sheol I cried, and You heard my voice.””
Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego had the faith to say to the king of Babylon,
“If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image, which you have set up.” (Dan. 3:17-18)
Right now, hopefully believers around the globe are praying for covid-19's eradication. I know I am. So yes, even today people ask God to change their circumstances, whether they be large or small. When man is desperate, he pleads for God's deliverance.
And God answers! In the case of the Israelite slaves, God sent them Moses, and 10 plagues over the Egyptians. The last was death of the first-born, but He made provision for His chosen people through the blood of a lamb on the tops and sides of their doors. Passover! Today, we have the Blood of the Lamb, our Savior, Jesus, “who takes away the sin of the world.” (Jn. 1:29) With Jonah, God “spit” him out onto the seashore, and the “three Hebrew children” were completely untouched by the fire as a fourth figure appeared with them in the furnace.
So God answers prayers for release, but does He promise deliverance? Yes, He does!
Psalm 32:7 says, “You are my hiding place; You shall preserve me from trouble; You shall surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah.” Then Psalm 34:19 reads,
“Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.”
While the book of Psalms isn’t the only place we find God’s promises of deliverance,
Psalm 91 is a favorite of many. It is one perfectly suited to this time. However, deliverance isn’t the only theme in this Psalm. Having studied the names of God a bit, I notice verses 1 and 2 have four different names of God (not to mention God as our "refuge" Machseh and "fortress"Metsuda!)
“The Most High” comes from El Elyon. This means Highest or Exalted One in every area of life. “The Almighty” is El Shaddai, the one for whom nothing is impossible! Then, "the LORD" is the name revealed to Moses; YHWH or Yahweh. He is I Am, who draws near to save. Last, we have “my God,” which is from Elohim. This means Creator, His sovereignty and His authority. In addition, technically it's a plural word (as in Father, Son and Holy Spirit!)
Let’s look at some of the promises in Psalm 91. Safety and protection are two, showing why it is a beloved psalm of soldiers and police officers. Verse 1 mentions the “secret place” which is an intimate place of divine protection, and “shadow” is a metaphor for care and protection. Verse 2 uses “refuge” and “fortress,” both places of safety. The “feathers” and “sheild” of verse 4 again show protection and care, and verse 6 shows that even with danger all around, we are safe. Verses 9, 10 and 13 show more of God’s protection and safety. And verses 11 and 12 even promise us angelic protection! Psalm 91 also has promises of no fear and peace, as verses 5 and 6 tell us those with God can be at peace even when evil is swirling around them.
Finally, yes, Psalm 91 has promises of deliverance! “Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence.” (V.3) In verse 14: “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.” Also, verse 15 says, “He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him." Not to mention the last two verses also give blessings of honor, long life, and salvation (life forever!)
So trust in God! Pray Psalm 91 over your home, and give thanks to your heavenly Father for the loving promises He has so graciously given you. Then take hold of them - they are yours!
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