People look for safety and security in a variety of places. It’s wise to be prepared for the storms of life, but we must understand that we cannot prepare for every contingency. This should not cause us to despair, but we must realize where we may find ultimate security. The Psalmist directed our attention toward God as our ultimate security:

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust!” (Psalm 91:1-2)

In the previous Psalm, Moses referred to God as the dwelling place of His people:

Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations. (Psalm 90:1)

Psalm 91 continues the theme of God as our dwelling place and presents four different names of God: Most High, Almighty, Lord, and God. When we have an elevated view of God, then we discover that our problems are not as intimidating as they seem. What dominates your focus – the greatness of our God or the problems you’re currently facing? The Psalms are a wonderful antidote to help us develop a God centered perspective when facing the challenges of life.

The Psalmist then enumerated the benefits of having a proper view of God: He will deliver, He will give His angels charge over us, He will rescue, He will be with us in trouble, He will honor us, He will satisfy us with a long life, He will reveal His salvation. As we read this list of blessings, we may think this is too good to be true. This is where the genre of this psalm provides understanding. This is a wisdom psalm that presents general principles. You may have heard that seatbelts save lives. This is generally true, but it’s not a guarantee that you won’t die if you’re wearing a seatbelt. When we follow God, it can help us avoid a number of problems in life. Our obedience to God however, does not shield us from the temptations of life. The devil used this Psalm to tempt Jesus:

for it is written: “HE WILL GIVE HIS ANGELS ORDERS CONCERNING YOU, TO PROTECT YOU,’ and, ‘ON THEIR HANDS THEY WILL LIFT YOU UP, SO THAT YOU DO NOT STRIKE YOUR FOOT AGAINST A STONE.’” (Luke 4:10-11)

The devil will misuse Scripture, but we must follow the example of Jesus and use Scripture as God intended:

And Jesus answered and said to him, “It has been stated, ‘YOU SHALL NOT PUT THE LORD YOUR GOD TO THE TEST.’”

The Psalms reveal that we will face troubles in this life. We would not need Psalms of comfort if there were no troubles, pestilence, or calamities in our lives. The Psalms remind us that God is with us when we are with Him, and we can rest in His presence when going through the valley.