For He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways. In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone. You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra, the young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot. “Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name. He shall 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 I will satisfy him, and show him My salvation.” Psalm 91: 11-16, NKJV.
Most Gracious Father, our prayer is that You will take full control of our lives. Please bless us as we study Your holy Word. In the name of Jesus Christ we pray. Amen.
I am truly grateful to God for the personal care that He takes of the creatures of His hand. Today, I am going to take the sentiments of this psalm and make them mine. I will reflect upon the loving kindness of my Heavenly Father.
As a small child, I loved to roam the fields behind my home, barefooted. Because of this, I suffered many a burst toe, when I would run into a big stone or rock! If you have not experienced this excruciating pain, you cannot appreciate this portion of the psalm. At these times I would wish that I had stayed close enough to my mom, or one of the adults in my life, for them to “bare me up, in their arms” and spare me the pain!
In many of the experiences in my life, I have felt the strong arms of my loving, Heavenly Father, or one of His angels whom He had left “in charge” of me, lift me up – just in time – to spare me the pain of some would-have-been misfortune! Thank You gracious Father!
As I read verse 13, I thought about the lion being the “king of the jungle,” and the serpent being referred to in Genesis 3, as “more cunning (some versions use the word subtle), than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made” (1a). I get the feeling, that these are enemies that can only be conquered by Christ Himself-on our behalf. Remember the promise of redemption given to Adam and Eve after they sinned? Christ, “the seed of the woman,” would conquer the serpent by, bruising its head. In the process, he bruised the heel of the Savior, but even with a bruised heel – Christ won the battle!
Thank You loving Savior, for being willing to suffer the serpent’s venom on my behalf! How often have I felt shielded by Your armor of grace and compassion as You have stood in my place – between me and the Adversary, and borne the sting of his wrath. Because of this I want to serve You all the days of my life!
I wonder if we fully appreciate what God does for us, when we accept Him as our personal Savior from sin. First of all, the Bible tells us that, “We love him, because He first loved us” (John 4: 19). Now His Word assures us, that when we respond to His love, He will deliver us. His love delivers us from loneliness, from depression, from despair, fear, and every negative dart, that the enemy hurls at us. When we get to know His name (His character), through a personal relationship with Him, He “[will raise] us up together, and [make] us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2: 6)!
I bless Your name, Oh Almighty God, for being willing to get Your hands, and side, and feet, pierced – when You reached down from glory to rescue me from the adder’s pit! Thank You so much for hiding me in the day of trouble, and bringing glory to Your name – by delivering me out of the lion’s den!
I owe my life, my joy, my hope, my all – to my Father’s loving care! Thank You Jesus!