‘The Place to Dwell’ is a post about resolving to make God your sole shelter. And this is achieved by getting intimate with Him.
”1 Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
Psalm 91New International Version (NIV)
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.”
3 Surely he will save you
from the fowler’s snare
and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with his feathers,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
5 You will not fear the terror of night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,
6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
nor the plague that destroys at midday.
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 observe with your eyes
and see the punishment of the wicked.
9 If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,”
and you make the Most High your dwelling,
10 no harm will overtake you,
no disaster will come near your tent.
11 For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways;
12 they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread on the lion and the cobra;
you will trample the great lion and the serpent.
14 “Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him;
I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
15 He will call on me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble,
I will deliver him and honor him.
16 With long life I will satisfy him
and show him my salvation.”
The Place to Dwell is God
The author of this Psalm is writing from experience. And he does a pretty good job in expressing his experience of God pictorially (metaphorically) as a dwelling place. In other words, it is only when a person relates with God intimately, that he/she can enjoy God’s presence, which is likened to a shadow.
The Benefits of Dwelling in God
When you sow in intimacy with God, you will reap the benefits of staying in His presence. For every sower who sows in God can expect a harvest. God is not a man that He should lie. He has also elevated His word (promise).
The author, having spent time in God’s presence, testifies (witnesses) of Him as his refuge and fortress (hiding place). He therefore testifies that God protects and saves from threats such as evil traps, diseases, attacks (including Satan’s) and weapons aimed at our destruction and especially death. And he is backed up by God’s dependability (trustworthiness).
There are many miraculous stories (testimonies) attributed to praying or declaring Psalm 91. Many involve soldiers and missionaries who are always in harm’s way. Others involve ordinary folk who have come face to face with dreadful threats.
A Testimony of Deliverance
According to william-macdonald.org, in 1922, in the Western Hebrides, a five-year-old lad was dying of diphtheria. A mucous membrane was forming across his throat, and breathing was becoming increasingly difficult. His Christian mother turned her back so she would not see him take his last breath.
At that very moment there was a knock at the door. It was her brother-in law from an adjoining village.
He said, “I’ve just come tell you that you don’t have to worry about the child. He is going to recover, and one day God is going to save his soul.”
She was distracted and incredulous: “Whatever makes you say that?”
Then he explained he had been sitting at his fire reading Psalm 91 when God distinctly spoke to him through the last three verses.
William MacDonald’s Deliverance
William was that boy. God delivered him from death that night; saved his soul thirteen years later, and satisfied him with long life. This is why William referred to Psalm 91 as his Psalm. Interestingly, he died in his 91st year.
Therefore, the chief benefit of dwelling in God is the assurance of divine protection and deliverance. When you are dwelling in God, you can by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, make your requests (fears and threats) to Him, and He will return peace. He declares (reveals) that He will rescue and protect those that love Him, such that they will have a long life.
One thing that you will discover as you go through testimonies connected to this Psalm, is that they are connected to prayer. The incidences of protection and deliverance are connected to intercessions instituted by God the Protector. Therefore, you can actually pray this Psalm. And you can personalize this Psalm in your life too.
Prayer
Lord, I have made a decision to dwell in Your secret place, the secret place of You, the Most High. I have determined this is the intent of my heart, but I need your help to stay consistent in remaining there and abiding under Your shadow. O Lord, In my own strength this is impossible. But, in You, O Lord, all things are possible. In Jesus’ Name I pray. Amen.
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