I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress. Psalm 91:2
Today’s Scripture
Psalm 91:9-16
Listen to Today’s Devotion
Today’s Devotion
As the outdoor concert started, I felt a single raindrop on my cheek. Looking up, I saw ominous dark clouds. Having paid a steep price for tickets, however, I wasn’t inclined to leave because of a little bad weather. Then umbrellas began to pop open. One woman pulled a plastic grocery bag over her hair. It took just one deafening boom of thunder for the performer to grab her microphone and beg us to take refuge somewhere.
As the rain began to come in torrents, we splashed through muddy puddles and rushed into a nearby school gym. Thoroughly soaked, we huddled with strangers for the next half hour, still hoping the storm would end. When we ventured back out, we saw that the band was packed up and ready to leave.
When the storms of life come, where can we run? Sorrow, worry, illness, and confusion can make us fearful and in need of refuge. We need a strong shelter that’ll protect us. Psalm 91 reminds us that God has promised to rescue us and to be with us in trouble. “Because he loves me . . . I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name” (v. 14). When we need help, we can call on His name and He “will answer” us (v. 15).
When our courage fails us, we can lean into His strength. He’s our shelter in any storm.
Reflect & Pray
What storms are you experiencing? How can you gain the shelter and refuge that God has promised you?
Gracious God, I take refuge in You. Please be my place of protection and shelter as I trust in You.
Today’s Insights
Both Psalms 90 and 91 focus on the similar theme of making God our “dwelling place” (90:1; see 91:2, 9)—a place of safety and security. Some scholars suggest that Moses wrote both psalms as an elaboration of Deuteronomy 33:27-28: “The eternal God is your refuge, . . . [you] will live in safety; . . . [you] will dwell secure.” The psalmist warns that we live in a wicked and dangerous world where we’ll encounter the schemes and attacks of men and suffer from disease, disasters, and trouble (91:3-6). He doesn’t say that those who trust in God will be immune from such adversities. Rather, he assures us that when we trust in God and make Him “[our] refuge and fortress . . . [our] dwelling” (v. 9), He’ll “rescue” and “protect” us (v. 14). Today, as we face adversity, we can “[dwell] in the shelter of the Most High [and] rest in the shadow of the Almighty” (v. 1).
Find rest in the presence of God by listening to Evening Meditations.
DAILY DEVOTIONS, NEWS AND INFORMATION 