not really. (:
Psalm 91
I read this psalm everyday.
(atleast I try to)
Verse 1&2 – He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”
Rest, a term I thought I knew the in’s and out’s of. FALSE. On my wrist there is a tattoo that says “Be Still”. Whenever I read these verses God reminds me of the very reason I got it. For as long as I can remember I have struggled with anxiety. The bible tells me that anxiety is NOT of the Lord. It’s not.
Resting in the Lord means being still, going with the flow, letting go of control and knowing the goodness of our father and trusting that he is enough. I’m still learning this.
Verse 3&4 – Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his feathers and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
So lets just unpack these two verses right quick. He is going to protect us from the fowler’s snare. Fowler: one who hunts birds and/or winged creatures. Verse 4, with his feathers, under his wings – HE IS being hunted and he’s still protecting us. I’m gonna be honest, I’ve read this Chapter WAY too many times to just now be noticing that, but I JUST noticed that. How great is our God? Just like the cross, he became human to save us. I know this is basic. I know that this is NOT new information, yet, I am dumbfounded.
Verse 5-13 – You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked.
If you make the Most High your dwelling – even the Lord, who is my refuge – then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent. Foe he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. You will tread upon the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent.”
Basically, stop fearing. Fearing is NOT of the Lord.
To be honest, this has been rather difficult for me lately. Since arriving in Africa I have found many things to fear. I go to bed every night feeling sick.. At night (every night) when I run to the bathroom and hear things moving around outside – I have a hard time telling God, “Dude, I trust you whatever is out there can’t hurt me, maul me or assault me. It’s all good.” or “God, I know that you aren’t gonna let me die here”
THESE ARE NOT EASY. However…
FEAR IS NOT OF THE LORD.
God has called me on the race in this chapter of my life for a reason and he has placed a calling on the days to come AFTER the race. Because of this I know that I am safe, so how is it that fear creeps in? Satan. He is a clever little turd and he is working, that’s another confirmation that we are doing something right.
Verse 14 – 16 – “Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation.”
Trying to figure out God’s love is like trying to count the stars on this African plain. It’s beautiful, I appreciate it like never before. There is no way I could count them, though. There are so many, and the longer I look, the more I can see. It’s unfathomable. I have to read this psalm everyday to remind myself that God WANTS to rescue me, protect me, answer me, deliver me, be with me, honor me, satisfy me and give me salvation. HE IS FOR ME. He’s on my team. He’s on my side. He wants the best of me. I forget so easily.
So my challenge for you is to read this. Everyday, for a week. See how much it encourages you. When you’re afraid, when you grow weary – Pull it Out, like the armor its meant to be. That’s what it has been to me.
I don't know what prompted me to share this with you. But my guess is this is for SOMEONE.
In case you didn't catch it, I'm IN RWANDA!!!! (: I love this place. These are my people. I love them. I will definitely be coming back.
(Thanks Scott Kwak for this picture!)
Also, you'll notice – I'm not begging for money at the bottom of this post, BECAUSE I'M FULLY FUNDED!!!! Yeeehaw!! Thank you all for your support and love!
