Peace from God-the Protected Life (Psalm 91:5-13)

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR
5/24/2012 8:53:24 AM
My Worship Time    Focus: Peace from God—the Protected Life
Bible Reading & Meditation     Reference:  Psalm 91:5-13
 Message of the verses:  In yesterday’s SD we looked at the introduction and first main section of Psalm 91, and we will continue to look at Psalm 91 in today’s SD.
 Peace from God—the Protected Life (vv. 5-:13):  “5  You will not be afraid of the terror by night, Or of the arrow that flies by day; 6  Of the pestilence that stalks in darkness, Or of the destruction that lays waste at noon. 7  A thousand may fall at your side And ten thousand at your right hand, But it shall not approach you. 8  You will only look on with your eyes And see the recompense of the wicked.  9 For you have made the LORD, my refuge, Even the Most High, your dwelling place. 10  No evil will befall you, Nor will any plague come near your tent. 11  For He will give His angels charge concerning you, To guard you in all your ways. 12  They will bear you up in their hands, That you do not strike your foot against a stone. 13  You will tread upon the lion and cobra, The young lion and the serpent you will trample down.”
 “5  Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night,  nor the arrow that flies in the day. 6  Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness,  nor the disaster that strikes at midday. 7  Though a thousand fall at your side,  though ten thousand are dying around you,  these evils will not touch you. 8  Just open your eyes,  and see how the wicked are punished. 9 If you make the LORD your refuge,  if you make the Most High your shelter, 10  no evil will conquer you;  no plague will come near your home. 11  For he will order his angels  to protect you wherever you go. 12  They will hold you up with their hands  so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone. 13  You will trample upon lions and cobras;  you will crush fierce lions and serpents under your feet!”  (NLT)
 Dr. Wiersbe writes on this section by saying “This paragraph emphasizes that we need not be afraid because the Lord and His angels watch over us.”  In yesterday’s SD we learned about the “hidden life,” and if in our hidden life we think about the Lord and His Word and desire for the Lord to work through us by the power of the Holy Spirit then when we come to dangers in our life we will be prepared.  Romans 12:1-2 gives insight into this by stating first of all that we are to give ourselves to the Lord as a “living sacrifice” which is holy and acceptable to the Lord.  Verse two states that we are not to be “conformed to this world,” but we are to be “transformed by the renewing of our minds.”  The word transformed is the word “metamorphoo” and we get the English word “metamorphosis” from this word.  The meaning of this word in the Greek is as follows “1) to change into another form, to transform, to transfigure 1a) Christ appearance was changed and was resplendent with divine brightness on the mount of transfiguration.”  How does this work?  We give ourselves to the Lord as a living sacrifice and we study and memorize His Word, which is what the Holy Spirit uses to change our lives into a life like Jesus Christ:  “For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren.”  (Romans 8:29)  We will then be empowered to do the works that God planed for us to do in eternity past:  “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”  (Ephesians 2:10)  In studying the book of Mark recently and looking at the baptism of Jesus Christ I learned that at the time of His baptism that the entire trinity was there and it was at this time that the Holy Spirit took over the life of Jesus so that He would be able to do the work that His Father had planned for Him to do.  As I look at this I see that believers today are to follow that pattern that is to be filled with the Holy Spirit in order to do the work that the Father has planned for us to do that were planned from eternity past.  This is all a part of the “hidden life.”
 Verse six may refer to the burning rays of the sun:  “Or of the destruction that lays waste at noon.” (NASB)  Verses seven and eight make us think of a battle scene, and when one looks at the covenant promises that are found in Lev. 26:8 and also Deut. 32:30 it is possible this is what the psalmist is thinking of when he wrote this.  Verse eight could refer to what the children of Israel saw in the eyes of the Egyptians who had just lost their firstborn who died on the night of the first Passover.  It could also refer to the dead bodies of the Egyptians who washed up on the shores of the Red Sea after they were drowned when the waters came crashing down on them.
 We know that verses 11-12 were quoted by Satan as he tempted Jesus.  Dr. Wiersbe writes:  “Satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness and the Lord responded with Deuteronomy 6:16.  If the Father had commanded Jesus to jump from the temple pinnacle, then the angels would have cared for Jesus, but to jump without the Father’s command would have been presumption, not faith, and that would be tempting the Father.  In Scripture, the lion and serpent (cobra) are images of Satan.”
 Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I need the power of the hidden life in my life each and every day.  This can only happen by constant study of God’s Word, giving myself to the Lord, and being filled with the Holy Spirit to do the work that the Lord has for me to do.  I am to “remain” in the Vine so that I can be empowered to do the work God has planned for me to do.
My Steps of Faith for Today:  To remain in the Vine!
5/24/2012 9:38:24 AM