TODAY’S BIBLE VERSE He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection. Psalms 91:4 Issues of the day begin to crowd my mind as I sit in my chair, trying to decide what to write. Will there be an economic collapse or boom? Will upcoming congressional decisions mean change for the better or the worse? Will there be war? Will there be another terrorist attack in our country? Then on a personal level: will I be able to lose the weight I want to lose this year? Will I get my first book published? Will I move forward financially? What will it be like being a grandfather? Just one of these questions can lead us down the road of fear and anxiety if we allow it. Put them all together and we have a mountain of uncertainty. Many people are fearful and panicked because of these questions, including many Christians. They are asking, “Is there hope? Can I survive? What, if anything can I do?” Yes, there is hope in God! In the Bible, God promises, “Because you have made the Lord your refuge, and the Most High your dwelling place, There shall no evil befall you, nor any plague or calamity come near your tent.” (Psalm 91:9-10, AMPC) God also states in Psalm 91 that He will cover you; He will give angels charge over you, no pestilence (no disease), no sudden death, nor any evil shall befall you. And the list goes on. The key to these promises is found in verse 14, “Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore will I deliver him; I will set him on high, because he knows and understands My name [has a personal knowledge of My mercy, love, and kindness — trusts and relies on Me, knowing I will never forsake him, no, never].” (Psalm 91:14, AMPC) As you determine with your mind to love God and set your heart to do so, you take the first turn of the key for the promises of God found in Psalm 91. Many of you have taken that first turn of the key by accepting Jesus Christ into your heart. For those who have not, there is no better time than now. The next turn of the key is equally important. It is getting to know God with personal knowledge of His mercy, love, and kindness. It is discovering who God is, and not just by reading the Bible and praying. This happens two ways. First, meditate; don’t just read the Bible, but think about what you are reading. According to Webster’s Dictionary, meditate is “to engage in contemplation or reflection; to focus one’s thoughts on; reflect on or ponder over.” In other words, take time to think about what you are reading. In our fast-paced society, we scan more than we read. Take time with the Bible; stop and ask, “What does this mean? How does this apply to my life?” Ask the Lord to help you understand and to teach you. Don’t scan it and walk away saying, “I’ve done my Bible reading for the day,” and check it off of that never-ending To-Do List. Secondly, it happens by making time for God, spending time with Him. Remember, God created man to spend time with Him. An example of this is in the Bible. “And out of the ground the Lord God formed every [wild] beast and living creature of the field and every bird of the air and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them; and whatever Adam called every living creature, that was its name.” (Genesis 2:19, AMPC) God would create an animal, and then bring it to Adam to name. God was interested to see what name would be given. I imagine there was some discussion of the creature’s design and purpose between God and Adam. This took time. Also in Genesis, “And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day … But the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, Where are you?” (Genesis 3:8-9, AMPC) This shows God coming to spend time with Adam and Eve. This was not unusual for Adam and Eve. They even knew the sound of God walking and would go out to meet and spend time with God. This is what God wants, for us to know Him. This is why Jesus came to earth so that a way would open for man to be able to spend time with God and know him again. Set aside time every day to get to know Father God better. Sit and listen for His voice. Get to know His presence. Have personal knowledge and relationship with God. This will unlock all the promises in Psalm 91 and much more will become yours. It will not matter what happens, good or bad, for you will be hidden in God’s presence and protection. Copyright © 2012 Richard Spangler, used by permission.
