I woke up to a post on my Instagram feed saying Psalm 91 was the most searched-for passage on the YouVersion Bible App. It’s clear men and women around the world are looking for comfort in a tumultuous world.
We live in a world filled with uncertainty. Wars, violence, financial pressures, health concerns, and personal struggles so easily fill our hearts with fear. If we’re not careful, we can spend way too much time worrying about what might happen that we miss what God wants to do in our lives today.
You’re not a bad person because you’re afraid. Fear is something we all face. It’s a normal response to everything happening around us. The real question is: what do we do with our fears?
Where do we turn when fear begins to overwhelm us? Where do we find peace when everything around us seems uncertain? God has given us a wonderful place to turn in Psalm 91. I remember a pastor calling this Psalm God’s emergency number, 911. Psalm 91:1 reminds us of the safety and security available to those who walk closely with the Lord.
“He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.” Psalm 91:1 (NKJV)
I love this promise. Notice that it begins with the words, “He who dwells.” God is inviting us into a daily, personal relationship with Him. The word dwells speaks of remaining, staying, and making our home in His presence. There is a difference between knowing about God and enjoying daily fellowship with Him. You can know someone for years and still have very little meaningful connection. The Lord wants us to walk with Him every day. He wants to be involved in our decisions, our struggles, our relationships, and every part of our lives.
There is something beautiful about the picture of living under someone’s shadow. To remain in their shadow, you have to stay close. That’s where God wants us, close to Him. And that’s where we need to be.
Psalm 91 introduces us to the God who makes these promises. He is the Most High, Elyon, the One who rules over everything. He is the Almighty, Shaddai, the God whose power is sufficient for every need. He is the LORD, Yahweh, the covenant-keeping God who is faithful to His promises. And He is Elohim, the mighty God who created all things. Consider who is inviting you to draw near to Him. The God who rules over heaven and earth loves you, knows you, and cares about what you’re facing today.
As we continue through Psalm 91, we discover some wonderful promises for those who dwell in the Lord’s presence. Verse 3 speaks of deliverance from the fowler’s snare. A snare is a trap, often hidden from view. We have an enemy who would love to trap us through temptation, deception, discouragement, and sin. But God has not left us defenseless.
“No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.” 1 Corinthians 10:13 (NKJV)
What an encouragement! You never have to surrender to temptation. God is faithful. He always provides a way of escape. We need to stay close to Him, recognize the dangers around us, and choose to walk in obedience to His Word.
Psalm 91 also helps with the fears that come during the night and the dangers that arise during the day. Some fears seem to grow stronger when we’re alone with our thoughts. Overthinking something can make it so much bigger than it is. Other troubles come suddenly, without warning. Yet through every circumstance, God remains faithful. We can trust Him with our lives and with our future.
This doesn’t mean Christians will never experience suffering, sickness, loss, or hardship. We know from the Bible and from our own experiences that following Jesus doesn’t exempt us from difficult circumstances. But we can be confident that nothing we face is outside of God’s knowledge or beyond His ability to sustain us. Our lives are in His hands.
Then we come to another remarkable promise.
“For He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you in all your ways.” Psalm 91:11 (NKJV)
God has angels who serve according to His purposes. Hebrews 1:14 describes them as ministering spirits sent to minister to those who will inherit salvation. So much is happening in the spiritual realm that we cannot see. We may never know how many times the Lord has protected us from dangers we didn’t even recognize.
Did you know Satan quoted this passage when he tempted Jesus in the wilderness? He wanted Jesus to throw Himself down from the temple and presume upon God’s protection. But Jesus refused to test His Father. There is a big difference between trusting God as we walk in obedience and deliberately putting ourselves in danger while expecting Him to rescue us. Faith doesn’t permit us to live foolishly. Faith leads us to trust and obey the Lord.
Psalm 91 goes on to describe lions and serpents, reminding us that real dangers will come along the way. Some attacks are obvious. Others are subtle and unexpected. The Christian life includes spiritual battles, difficult decisions, and seasons when we don’t understand what God is allowing. We need His wisdom, His strength, and His protection every day.
One of my favorite promises comes near the end of the psalm.
“He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him.” Psalm 91:15 (NKJV)
Notice what God says. He will be with us in trouble. That means there will be trouble. There will be circumstances we didn’t choose and difficulties we cannot resolve in our own strength. But we will never have to face them alone. The Lord is with us. We can call upon Him, and He hears us.
So let me encourage you today. Don’t allow fear to rule your decisions or rob you of the peace God wants you to enjoy. Spend time with the Lord. Open your Bible. Pray about what concerns you. Bring your burdens to Him. Make your relationship with Jesus the priority of your life.
Psalm 91 begins with an invitation to dwell in the Most High’s secret place. That’s a wonderful invitation for every believer. Stay close to Jesus. Keep trusting Him. Continue walking in His ways.
Whatever you’re facing today, remember that your heavenly Father knows, He cares, and He is faithful. When fear comes knocking, you know where to turn.
What does the Bible say about Fear
Psalm 23:4 (NKJV) “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.”
Psalm 27:1 (NKJV) “The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid?”
Psalm 34:4 (NKJV) “I sought the Lord, and He heard me, And delivered me from all my fears.”
Psalm 56:3–4 (NKJV) “Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You. In God (I will praise His word), In God I have put my trust; I will not fear. What can flesh do to me?”
Psalm 56:10–11 (NKJV) “In God (I will praise His word), In the Lord (I will praise His word), In God I have put my trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?”
Proverbs 1:32–33 (NKJV) “For the turning away of the simple will slay them, And the complacency of fools will destroy them; But whoever listens to me will dwell safely, And will be secure, without fear of evil.””
Isaiah 41:10 (NKJV) “Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you,Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’”
Isaiah 43:1–2 (NKJV) “But now, thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you.”
Jeremiah 17:7–8 (NKJV) ““Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, And whose hope is the Lord. For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, Which spreads out its roots by the river, And will not fear when heat comes; But its leaf will be green, And will not be anxious in the year of drought, Nor will cease from yielding fruit.”
Matthew 10:28–31 (NKJV) “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.”
Romans 8:15–16 (NKJV) “For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,”
Romans 8:28 (NKJV) “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”
Philippians 4:6–7 (NKJV) “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
2 Timothy 1:7 (NKJV) “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”
Hebrews 2:14–15 (NKJV) “Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.”
1 John 4:18 (NKJV) “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.”
