A Person to Trust
Psalm 91 paints a lovely picture of the Most High God as a person who can be trusted. Verse 2 says "I will say of the LORD, 'He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.'" (Psalm 91:2 NIV11)
So, He's not just a comforting shelter, as verse 1 says. He is a strong and mighty refuge or fortress, and when we are with Him, we can trust Him to care for us.
What It Means to Truly Trust God
Can you say this verse today, and mean it? That God is the one in whom you trust?
Remember, trust is an active thing. Trust means you lean on somebody, in some sense, and expect them not to let you down.
The Psalmist here lists things like snares and diseases and terrors and arrows and armies, as things coming against him. But he states that his trust is in God, and that he’s confident that God will be faithful and won't let these things hurt him.
Suffering Doesn't Mean God Has Failed You
Now, I must mention here that the New Testament brings a different perspective to this Psalm. The Psalmist here says "If you say, 'The LORD is my refuge,' and you make the Most High your dwelling, no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent." (Psalm 91:9-10 NIV11). Many people take that to mean that the Christian can never go through any trials or hardships. But when you look at the lives of the apostles, and the persecutions and awful things they faced, you realise that godly people can suffer terrible things.
So what is the Psalmist saying here? I think he's saying that, if God is your refuge, harm and disaster won't destroy your faith. You might very well suffer for the gospel, but that suffering won't kill your faith in God!
Paul went through terrible things. Disaster certainly visited his tent - but it never defeated him! This is the key. You can trust God - not to wrap you in cotton wool and prevent you from ever facing anything hard - but to sustain you through these things with joy.
Today, trust in God as the refuge and fortress of your heart - shielding you from a broken faith. You can face your struggles, with Him in your life. He will help you through, if you will dwell in His shadow and trust in Him.
Psalm 91 reveals God as a Person we can actively trust, who sustains our faith through suffering rather than shielding us from it. Bring your struggles to God today and lean on Him as your refuge and fortress.