Psalms 91:7, "A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee."
In today's modern world, harsh reality flares up in front of our eyes daily. The recent war has brought home more clearly than ever the toll that is paid by everyone. More folks are searching to find some logical reason for any of this. More people need the comfort from losses, the feeling of security in an unsecure world, someone to tell them that their lives are not going to be completely altered today.
So far in this Psalm study, we have learned that God is a safe haven, a fortress, refuge, deliverer. His Wings are strong enough and wide enough for all His children to abide in safety covered by His feathers. He protects us from the fears of the night, the pestilences that stalk us, the arrows that fly at us during the day, the terror in a terror-filled world.
I would like to show a picture of another type of war, before airplanes and tanks, before there were extremely long range weapons. Now, please bear with me because I am not an expert on any war so this is something that I see in my own mind. During those wars from long ago, armies would face off and charge each other. Since the long range weapons, either catapult or cannon, were only used occasionally, most of the fighting was hand-to-hand combat. Unlike the Roman days, these fighters did not have shields or bucklers. They had bayonets on the ends of very long guns. As you might imagine, many soldiers died this way because of the close quarters involved. Yet there were those who survived.
Picture yourself standing in a field where the action is taking place. All around you soldiers are fighting and dying. Since the numbers are so great, also great are the numbers of slain. The battle intensifies, raging on through the day. More and more fall around you. For some reason, unknown to you, none of this is touching you. No one is fighting you. No one is even noticing you standing there. It's almost like you are invisible to them. The fight lasts for hours. At the end of the battle, you stand alone in the field. All others are either on the ground or gone from the field, tending to their wounded and rejoicing in the victory. Why are you untouched?
"A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee."
At the beginning of the Psalm, it states that he who dwells in the secret place is living in the shadow of the Almighty. There are assurances that if a person does that, they are in safety. It should be a natural thing for you to stand watching a thousand fall or ten thousand go down at your right hand. Wait a minute, are we talking about people here? Not necessarily, although if a person were in war and was in God's secret place, they should have the confidence that God would protect them one way or another.
One thing that God had to pound into my head was that He acts spiritually before all else. Everything written in God's Word (Bible) is given spiritually that way. Therefore, the first thing about this Psalm is the spiritual side of it. That made it much clearer for me. I now know that the enemy, in this case the devil and his demons, will fall at my side and at my right hand as long as I am in the shadow of the Almighty! What an amazing thing! Of course, this works for the physical world as well. God's protection is greater than anything this world has to offer. Does this mean that all I have to do is say this Psalm and, presto, I am covered? No. There is a point in a faith walk where a person comes to seek God for Himself and not for what can be gained, only what He can do for them. When that happens, God shows that individual His vast protection.
But does that mean that I can't have protection if I'm not that close to Him? No. But you must begin to have a relationship with your Father. He must be part of your life, not simply the One you talk to when you have a fleeting moment. A relationship will develop as you draw closer and closer to Him. Well, how do I do all that? Closeness to God comes when you pray daily, seek His advice in everything, and get to know Him as if He was your best friend. He is, you know. You can seek His face by reading His Word daily and thinking about the things He says. For instance, if a particular verse bothers you because it may not make sense to you, don't drop it and forget it. Ask the Father about that. He wrote it. He knows what it means and He surely wants you to know what it means as well. Some people find the Word of God to be a "great mystery." Know why? Because they do not take the time to read and study it. They do not ask God what it means.
All God wants is for you to be saved from the enemy, asking Jesus into your heart (John 3:16) and to acknowledge Him as your Creator. Sound like a lot to ask? Not really. Jesus died on a cruel cross, enduring agonizing pain, spiritually, mentally, and physically so that you would not have to go to hell. He went to hell instead. Then He rose from the dead! That's right. He is alive! He is waiting for you to ask for Him. He sits at the right hand of the Father watching over your prayers as your High Priest (Hebrews 3:1). When God's family is your family, that Psalm will become a part of your life too. Reach out and touch the Lord today! You will never be the same again.
Click here for Psalm 91:6
Click here for Psalm 91:8
back to the home page of Lura's Bookcase
Then perhaps you should Check out Freenet an anonymous peer to peer publishing system that is very resistant to censorship
For more Sermons, Teaching, Preaching, Bible Studies, and
general Christian Writings, Please visit the Front Page of Lura's Bookcase
and be sure to stop by A Peculiar Place
for more Bible Study, Teaching, and general Christian articles
Please be sure to visit our sponsors:
