The Safest Place in the Universe!

Psalm 91:1 says "Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty."

Before I begin, let me confess a number of fears that I have. I am afraid of "ghost"! I blame it on my childhood, my ethnic background, and indeed my mother! I can't remember clearly the number of events and situations that brought such silly fear into my life. I am after all a born again Christian! The word "fear" appears 336 times in the NIV translation of the bible. There are many clear teachings explaining why we don't have to fear because we now belong to Christ. I even wrote a blog about fear called "Whom Shall I Fear". But my fear of ghost is just one of those fear that is totally irrational, much like my fear of height, close space etc. I remember once during my summer elective as a medical student living in a northern Ontario town called Cochrane. I was put up in the operating room of a deserted hospital! I am embarrassed to say that I lasted only one night - I couldn't sleep at all! I begged my supervisor to put me up in his home instead!

Psalm 91 is not talking about this kind of irrational fear. There are real fears in every human being's life. Recent wars in Iraq, Ukraine, Syria, Gaza, and Ebola outbreaks all point to real physical dangers in the world we live in. The Psalmist (most people think Moses wrote this Psalm) talked about fowler's snare (an enemy's trap - see Spurgeon's commentary) and deadly pestilence (verse 3), terror of night and arrow that flies by day (verse 5), and the death of thousands (verse 7). In this Psalm the writer used the most vivid visual imagery to help the readers appreciate how God's presence provides a sense of protection. Against the fowler's snare, God will cover us with his feathers and we will find refuge under his wings (verse 4). Against deadly pestilence God's faithfulness is our shield and rampart (a defensive wall) - like the protective suits and isolation wards against Ebola transmission.

So the promise is that "Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty." This commentary explains:
The word "shelter" in the NIV is translated "secret place" in the KJV. It speaks of a place known only to God! When faced with danger, we automatically cover ourselves, or at least shield ourselves from harm. Can you imagine covering yourself with God? Can you imagine being shielded by the Might and Power of the Almighty? Where no evil can harm nor even reach us? That is what the psalmist is speaking about here! That is ultimate Security, and only in God will we find True Peace. The one who "dwells" or lives in God's secret place will be protected by His Almighty Presence! But let no one misunderstand this Truth. It is not the one who claims to dwell in God's Presence that will be protected, but the one who truly lives there! The one who wanders beyond His "shadow" into the realm of the world should not expect His protection!

So the secret of finding this "secret place" is in verse 2: I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”.
The commentary further explains:
The key to entering God's secret place is simple: Trust God and acknowledge Him as your refuge and fortress! This second verse is easy enough to say, but very difficult to do when "danger" is tangible and near! When threatened, we too often become controlled by our fears that melt our trust in God. We too easily trust in our own strength and intellect to save us from danger, but fail to recognize where our real protection lies! Admission into God's presence has always been by faith, and never on the basis of how deserving we are! Otherwise, we will find ourselves forever cast out from God's Holy and Perfectly Righteous Presence! The One who dwells in Light Unapproachable can no more welcome the sinner as oil can mix with water. On the contrary, God's Righteousness repels sin! But the one who receives God's Son, Jesus Christ, and believes that Christ died for his sins, will be transformed into God's child and transferred into God's Presence. It is this child of God who is permitted sanctuary in the very secret place of the Most High!

So we who trust in Christ's redeeming work is already in his presence! Our faith is based on what Christ has done rather than what we have done so we don't have to be afraid that we are not good enough. His promise of protection is real and tangible.

"There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love." (1 John 4:18)