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.

¹⁴ “Because he has loved Me, therefore I will deliver him;
I will set him securely on high, because he has known My name.
¹⁵ “He will call upon Me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble;
I will rescue him and honor him.
¹⁶ “With a long life I will satisfy him
And let him see My salvation.”

The headline at the top of the scripture says security of the one who trusts in the Lord. But the Psalmist himself calls us to something much deeper. This trust is born out of a deep relationship with the Lord. Spending time with God, in devotions, prayer and worship is a vital and important part of our Christian life. Again though the Psalmist and God Himself is calling us to something much deeper than coming to God and sharing a designated part of our day with Him. The protection, the provision the security mentioned in Psalm 91 is not promised to those who visit with God. But, rather to they who dwell and abide with Him. To dwell and abide is to live in, to reside there.

This dwelling and abiding does not come easy to us. It is something we need to first determine to do. Then we need to practice it. Our busy lives and our many responsibilities make it difficult to remain in God. More and more in our society and culture God is no longer welcome in many places. We can not stay in our prayer closet or our favorite place of worship where we easily sense God's presence. Life calls us away and causes it's many distractions.

God Himself provides the answer to us. Look at Jesus prayer for us in John 17: ²⁰ “I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; ²¹ that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me. 

²² The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; ²³ I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me. ²⁴ Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.

Jesus has given us the indwelling Spirit of God. We need only to change our default allowing Him to lead and be foremost in our lives. Then in Christ, through the Holy Spirit we can have all of the security, the protection and provision the Psalmist speaks of.

Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus, Holy Spirit, thank You that You made the way, that You have chosen to abide in us so that we may abide in You. Work in me each day to enhance the reality of this truth in my life.