THE GREAT PROTECTOR

Jason Matthews

Central Truth

The Lord will deliver and protect those that love and trust Him. Those that put their faith in Him have nothing to fear.

The Lord says, “Because he is devoted to me, I will deliver him;
I will protect him because he is loyal to me."
(Psalm 91:14)

My Refuge and My Fortress

1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say^{1

91:2
Septuagint He will say} to the LORD, “My refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.”

3 For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler
    and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with his pinions,
    and under his wings you will find refuge;
    his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.
5 You will not fear the terror of the night,
    nor the arrow that flies by day,
6 nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness,
    nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.

7 A thousand may fall at your side,
    ten thousand at your right hand,
    but it will not come near you.
8 You will only look with your eyes
    and see the recompense of the wicked.

9 Because you have made the LORD your dwelling place—
the Most High, who is my refuge^{2

91:9
Or For you, O LORD, are my refuge! You have made the Most High your dwelling place} —
10 no evil shall be allowed to befall you,
no plague come near your tent.

11 For he will command his angels concerning you
    to guard you in all your ways.
12 On their hands they will bear you up,
    lest you strike your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread on the lion and the adder;
    the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot.

14 “Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him;
    I will protect him, because he knows my name.
15 When he calls to me, I will answer him;
    I will be with him in trouble;
    I will rescue him and honor him.
16 With long life I will satisfy him
    and show him my salvation.”

Footnotes

[1] 91:2 Septuagint He will say
[2] 91:9 Or For you, O LORD, are my refuge! You have made the Most High your dwelling place

Wow, what a clear and powerful declaration of the Lord's desire to protect those who love and trust Him. Throughout Psalm 91 the author speaks of the Lord protecting "the one who lives in the shelter of the sovereign One" from dangers such as plagues, terrors, diseases, etc. (Psalm 91:1) The author even says that for those who love God, "[H]e will order his angels to protect you in all you do." (91:11)

But after reading Psalm 91, I began to wonder how this message is consistent with the suffering that we often see throughout the Bible and everywhere in our fallen world today. The best biblical example of this is probably the story of Job, a man who "was pure and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil." (Job 1:1) Job, nevertheless, faced hardships and suffering as Satan sought to prove that Job loved God only because the Lord had so richly blessed Job.

An example of this suffering in my life is my mother who has been battling cancer for many years. I know that she loves the Lord and has put her trust in Him, yet she continues to suffer and battle her disease. How do these painful examples reconcile with what God reveals to us through Psalm 91? How does my mother battle her disease and yet read in Psalm 91:10: "No harm will overtake you; no illness will come near your home."?

I believe that God has the power and ability to do anything. He is the sovereign Creator of all (as described in Genesis 1) and thus capable of protecting us from anything He chooses. God also reveals to us: "And we know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28) We must have faith that although we may not always understand His ways, God's ultimate purpose is to bring glory to Himself and work everything for good for those who love Him.

1. What are some examples in your life in which God has protected you from harm?

2. Do you honestly believe that God loves you and only wants the very best for you?

3. Do you believe that God is in complete control of everything and has the ability to protect you from anything that He chooses?