1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:11,440 Psalm 91. 2 00:00:11,440 --> 00:00:13,880 We don't really know who wrote this Psalm. 3 00:00:13,880 --> 00:00:20,360 Some say that it's a Davidic Psalm and perhaps it is, but we don't know. 4 00:00:20,360 --> 00:00:26,560 Nonetheless, we can understand what it's talking about and hopefully we can relate to it and 5 00:00:26,560 --> 00:00:32,920 find some strength and comfort because it's a song, a Psalm, excuse me, that talks about 6 00:00:32,920 --> 00:00:35,280 finding protection in God. 7 00:00:35,280 --> 00:00:41,360 And that's something that throughout our lives we probably find ourselves many times having 8 00:00:41,360 --> 00:00:48,520 to seek God for protection as we go through different trials and hardships and difficulties. 9 00:00:48,520 --> 00:00:53,400 And this Psalm is a good reminder for where we will find our protection in those times. 10 00:00:53,400 --> 00:00:57,520 So let's pray and we'll get started. 11 00:00:57,520 --> 00:01:02,360 God we come to you, I thank you for your good word and I pray tonight, God, that we would 12 00:01:02,360 --> 00:01:05,400 draw closer to your presence. 13 00:01:05,400 --> 00:01:10,800 That we would know dear Lord that that's where our comfort and that's where our protection 14 00:01:10,800 --> 00:01:12,760 comes from dear Lord. 15 00:01:12,760 --> 00:01:16,880 So let our happy place be in your presence tonight, God. 16 00:01:16,880 --> 00:01:19,160 I pray that you'd bless the time that we have. 17 00:01:19,160 --> 00:01:20,960 I pray that you'd bless the reading of your word. 18 00:01:20,960 --> 00:01:25,000 That you'd take away any pride or any nerves that I have dear Lord. 19 00:01:25,000 --> 00:01:26,560 That you'd hide me behind the cross. 20 00:01:26,560 --> 00:01:31,280 That I would preach and teach your word in a way that brings glory to you. 21 00:01:31,280 --> 00:01:34,720 And I ask these things in Jesus name, amen. 22 00:01:34,720 --> 00:01:35,720 Amen. 23 00:01:35,720 --> 00:01:45,840 Psalm 91, verse one, those who live under the protection of the most high dwells in 24 00:01:45,840 --> 00:01:48,520 the shadow of the Almighty. 25 00:01:48,520 --> 00:01:53,680 Now that's a beautiful thing to think about being in the protection of God, being in a 26 00:01:53,680 --> 00:01:57,920 place where you feel like you cannot be reached by anyone else. 27 00:01:57,920 --> 00:01:58,960 And what does it say? 28 00:01:58,960 --> 00:02:03,220 The one who dwells in the shadow of the Almighty. 29 00:02:03,220 --> 00:02:06,200 That implies that we have to be close to God. 30 00:02:06,200 --> 00:02:10,520 If something produces a shadow, if you're going to stand in the shadow of that person 31 00:02:10,520 --> 00:02:14,960 or that thing that you're standing by, you're going to have to be pretty close to it. 32 00:02:14,960 --> 00:02:20,640 So when we are in the presence of God, when we are dwelling close to God, there's a certain 33 00:02:20,640 --> 00:02:22,200 protection there. 34 00:02:22,200 --> 00:02:25,760 It's a place that we feel like that our enemy cannot reach us. 35 00:02:25,760 --> 00:02:28,920 A place that we find some safety. 36 00:02:28,920 --> 00:02:31,120 Maybe we have those places in our life. 37 00:02:31,120 --> 00:02:33,360 Maybe there's a physical place in our life. 38 00:02:33,360 --> 00:02:37,360 A place that we go in times of struggle, in times of pain. 39 00:02:37,360 --> 00:02:40,440 A place that we go to seek God. 40 00:02:40,440 --> 00:02:42,720 And that place brings us protection. 41 00:02:42,720 --> 00:02:47,440 Maybe not necessarily because there's anything special about the place, but that place brings 42 00:02:47,440 --> 00:02:53,400 us a sense of protection because it's a place where we come and draw closer to God. 43 00:02:53,400 --> 00:02:58,240 I was watching this YouTube video a couple of months ago, and this guy, I believe he 44 00:02:58,240 --> 00:02:59,240 was in the Grand Canyon. 45 00:02:59,240 --> 00:03:02,080 He didn't say where he was, but he was in a canyon area. 46 00:03:02,080 --> 00:03:04,080 It looked a lot like the Grand Canyon. 47 00:03:04,080 --> 00:03:09,560 And there was an area where a little ways down off the edge of the cliff of the Grand 48 00:03:09,560 --> 00:03:15,640 Canyon, the canyon kind of curved back under and there was a spot under there off into 49 00:03:15,640 --> 00:03:17,720 the edge of the rock. 50 00:03:17,720 --> 00:03:20,920 And this went for a quarter of a mile, I believe he said. 51 00:03:20,920 --> 00:03:27,280 And there were Native American tribes in that area hundreds of years ago, and they had built 52 00:03:27,280 --> 00:03:31,460 these little houses or these little things, these little walls there. 53 00:03:31,460 --> 00:03:35,560 And you could tell that it was a place that certainly would be protected. 54 00:03:35,560 --> 00:03:39,520 It would be protected from the elements because they were tucked away in the edge of the 55 00:03:39,520 --> 00:03:40,520 cliff. 56 00:03:40,520 --> 00:03:45,340 It was a place that would have been protected from any kind of enemies because you get down 57 00:03:45,340 --> 00:03:46,960 in there, it's pretty tough. 58 00:03:46,960 --> 00:03:51,160 And once you get down in there, there's only one way in and they had built a little wall 59 00:03:51,160 --> 00:03:52,160 there. 60 00:03:52,160 --> 00:03:55,320 They had closed off the entrance and there was no way you were getting in there. 61 00:03:55,320 --> 00:04:01,720 That would be a place of safety and a place of protection, which is why they probably 62 00:04:01,720 --> 00:04:03,300 lived there. 63 00:04:03,300 --> 00:04:07,080 And that's what we need to feel when we are in the presence of God. 64 00:04:07,080 --> 00:04:10,280 We need to feel that we can retreat to God. 65 00:04:10,280 --> 00:04:15,000 We can retreat to a place that when we are in the presence of God, that we are safe, 66 00:04:15,000 --> 00:04:20,920 that we are protected from anything and everything that is around us, from any body that is around 67 00:04:20,920 --> 00:04:24,200 us, from any situation that's difficult. 68 00:04:24,200 --> 00:04:30,640 There are times that we need to retreat from the world and we need to draw closer to God. 69 00:04:30,640 --> 00:04:35,320 We need to dwell in the shadow of the Most High. 70 00:04:35,320 --> 00:04:44,080 Verse two, I will say to the Lord, my refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust. 71 00:04:44,080 --> 00:04:46,880 Maybe that needs to be our prayer today. 72 00:04:46,880 --> 00:04:51,320 Maybe that truth needs to be something that we are reminded of today. 73 00:04:51,320 --> 00:04:54,880 Do we look at God as our refuge and our fortress? 74 00:04:54,880 --> 00:04:59,000 Do we call out to him and say, God, I trust in you? 75 00:04:59,000 --> 00:05:03,840 And maybe sometimes we find ourselves in lives not really trusting in God the way we should. 76 00:05:03,840 --> 00:05:09,160 Maybe we trust in our own abilities or we trust in our wealth or we trust in our newly 77 00:05:09,160 --> 00:05:12,760 elected president more than we trust in God. 78 00:05:12,760 --> 00:05:17,960 But perhaps tonight our prayer needs to be, God, I seek refuge in you. 79 00:05:17,960 --> 00:05:20,000 God, I trust in you. 80 00:05:20,000 --> 00:05:21,320 Who do we seek refuge in? 81 00:05:21,320 --> 00:05:23,160 Who do we trust in? 82 00:05:23,160 --> 00:05:28,520 Well, if we don't seek refuge in the Lord and don't trust him first and foremost, then 83 00:05:28,520 --> 00:05:31,560 we're already starting in the wrong spot. 84 00:05:31,560 --> 00:05:36,560 And so this Psalm is full of this kind of language of seeking a dwelling place, a place 85 00:05:36,560 --> 00:05:43,360 of protection, a place of refuge, a place where we are safe from all of the enemies 86 00:05:43,360 --> 00:05:45,160 that come against us. 87 00:05:45,160 --> 00:05:49,440 And that safe place comes when we trust in the Lord. 88 00:05:49,440 --> 00:05:56,480 Verse three, he himself will deliver you from the hunter's net, from the destructive plague. 89 00:05:56,480 --> 00:05:58,720 He will cover you with his feathers. 90 00:05:58,720 --> 00:06:01,680 He will take refuge under his wings. 91 00:06:01,680 --> 00:06:05,680 His faithfulness will be a protective shield. 92 00:06:05,680 --> 00:06:09,040 Now the first part of verse four there, he will cover you with his feathers. 93 00:06:09,040 --> 00:06:12,360 You will take refuge under his wings. 94 00:06:12,360 --> 00:06:17,120 You can imagine a bird, you can imagine a mother bird sitting on a nest with all the 95 00:06:17,120 --> 00:06:18,440 new little baby birds. 96 00:06:18,440 --> 00:06:23,960 And you can imagine that bird wrapping her wing around those baby birds, protecting that 97 00:06:23,960 --> 00:06:30,120 bird from other predators that may come, protecting that bird from weather that may come, protecting 98 00:06:30,120 --> 00:06:32,800 those baby birds from whatever it may be. 99 00:06:32,800 --> 00:06:34,840 They are helpless and they are hopeless. 100 00:06:34,840 --> 00:06:39,920 And there has to be one who will look after them and provide for them and give them everything 101 00:06:39,920 --> 00:06:42,640 they need and protect them. 102 00:06:42,640 --> 00:06:47,320 And what a beautiful illustration that is for what God does for us, that we are pretty 103 00:06:47,320 --> 00:06:50,720 hopeless and we are pretty helpless. 104 00:06:50,720 --> 00:06:55,800 We are pretty rotten sometimes as sinners, our faith isn't always super strong. 105 00:06:55,800 --> 00:07:01,160 Even on our best days, we're still not very good sometimes, but God is so beautiful that 106 00:07:01,160 --> 00:07:05,560 he wraps us up, that he covers us, that he protects us. 107 00:07:05,560 --> 00:07:11,040 This verse that we see here in verse four, we also see the same language used in the 108 00:07:11,040 --> 00:07:16,900 book of Ruth in chapter two, I believe it's verse 12, where Ruth is out there picking 109 00:07:16,900 --> 00:07:22,360 up the leftover scraps out of Boaz's field and Boaz sees what's going on and he goes 110 00:07:22,360 --> 00:07:27,160 over to her and he's very kind to her and he says the same thing to her. 111 00:07:27,160 --> 00:07:29,720 He says, look, you know, may the Lord bless you. 112 00:07:29,720 --> 00:07:31,040 And then he says the same thing. 113 00:07:31,040 --> 00:07:32,980 He will cover you with his feathers. 114 00:07:32,980 --> 00:07:35,400 You will take refuge under his wings. 115 00:07:35,400 --> 00:07:38,520 It's beautiful language there and Boaz recognized that of Ruth. 116 00:07:38,520 --> 00:07:43,680 Hey, look, Ruth, I heard your story, he says, and God is blessing you. 117 00:07:43,680 --> 00:07:45,640 God is taking care of you. 118 00:07:45,640 --> 00:07:50,960 And perhaps Boaz didn't even quite know how much God was going to take care of Ruth as 119 00:07:50,960 --> 00:07:55,400 the story went on and how much he would be a part of that story. 120 00:07:55,400 --> 00:07:58,940 It's a good book to go read if you never read the book of Ruth is short, put it on your 121 00:07:58,940 --> 00:08:01,840 reading list this week. 122 00:08:01,840 --> 00:08:08,320 Verse five, you will not fear the terror of the night, the arrow that flies by day, the 123 00:08:08,320 --> 00:08:13,700 plague that stalks in darkness or the pestilence that ravages at noon. 124 00:08:13,700 --> 00:08:19,800 Though a thousand fall at your side and 10,000 at your right hand, the pestilence will not 125 00:08:19,800 --> 00:08:21,180 reach you. 126 00:08:21,180 --> 00:08:27,040 You will only see it with your eyes and witness the punishment of the wicked. 127 00:08:27,040 --> 00:08:31,400 Now this is a beautiful place to be because there are a lot of things in our life that 128 00:08:31,400 --> 00:08:35,640 we go through that are just so scary. 129 00:08:35,640 --> 00:08:38,900 There are some things in life that are just, they just terrifies. 130 00:08:38,900 --> 00:08:44,360 They bring about fear, they bring about worry, they bring about anxiety. 131 00:08:44,360 --> 00:08:49,440 And it might just be stuff that's going on at school or stuff that's going on at our 132 00:08:49,440 --> 00:08:53,040 job or just some small things like that. 133 00:08:53,040 --> 00:08:57,960 Or maybe sometimes we may find ourselves in the midst of a battle zone where arrows really 134 00:08:57,960 --> 00:09:02,200 are flying at us and really horrible situations. 135 00:09:02,200 --> 00:09:05,680 There are lots of things in life that are scary to us. 136 00:09:05,680 --> 00:09:10,720 There are lots of things that we find ourselves afraid of. 137 00:09:10,720 --> 00:09:13,680 And being afraid in that way is somewhat natural. 138 00:09:13,680 --> 00:09:17,020 It's something that we have to fight against. 139 00:09:17,020 --> 00:09:18,160 But it's a beautiful thing. 140 00:09:18,160 --> 00:09:22,980 If you've ever been to a place where you were really afraid and you cried out to God and 141 00:09:22,980 --> 00:09:29,480 you began to trust him and you found that peace to know that you were in the protection 142 00:09:29,480 --> 00:09:34,880 of God, to know that whatever was going on around you, the cancer that you're fighting, 143 00:09:34,880 --> 00:09:44,200 the stress of your job, the hardship of just life and whatever it may be, there are times 144 00:09:44,200 --> 00:09:49,680 in our life that our fear overwhelms us and we really begin to call out to God and we 145 00:09:49,680 --> 00:09:51,920 really begin to seek him. 146 00:09:51,920 --> 00:09:57,360 And it's such a beautiful feeling when we feel that we are behind the wing of God, that 147 00:09:57,360 --> 00:10:02,240 we are in the presence of God, that we are dwelling in the protection of God. 148 00:10:02,240 --> 00:10:07,220 And when we get to that moment, all of a sudden our fear is lifted. 149 00:10:07,220 --> 00:10:10,620 And whatever we're up against doesn't disappear. 150 00:10:10,620 --> 00:10:13,160 We still are up against whatever we were battling. 151 00:10:13,160 --> 00:10:15,240 We're still up against the disease. 152 00:10:15,240 --> 00:10:17,280 We're still up against the stress at school. 153 00:10:17,280 --> 00:10:20,120 We're still up against our enemies that are shooting at us. 154 00:10:20,120 --> 00:10:23,080 Those things often don't change. 155 00:10:23,080 --> 00:10:25,780 But what does change is our heart. 156 00:10:25,780 --> 00:10:30,440 Because now we're trusting in the Lord and we know the Lord is going to protect us and 157 00:10:30,440 --> 00:10:32,140 we can go about our day. 158 00:10:32,140 --> 00:10:36,960 And we can say, God, I'm not going to fret anymore because I'm trusting in you. 159 00:10:36,960 --> 00:10:38,960 And that's a beautiful place to be. 160 00:10:38,960 --> 00:10:43,400 And I think that's why Psalm 91 is a good psalm for us to look at and think about, to 161 00:10:43,400 --> 00:10:45,800 see if we're dwelling in that kind of protection. 162 00:10:45,800 --> 00:10:47,400 Maybe we're not. 163 00:10:47,400 --> 00:10:52,440 Maybe today you're living in that place of fear and that place of stress and that place 164 00:10:52,440 --> 00:10:56,820 of being afraid and being overwhelmed. 165 00:10:56,820 --> 00:11:02,820 But maybe through Psalm 91 tonight we can find some protection in the Lord if we would 166 00:11:02,820 --> 00:11:08,740 call out to him so that we would be those who wouldn't worry in those times, but would 167 00:11:08,740 --> 00:11:14,220 find peace in the midst of our deepest and darkest and most difficult days. 168 00:11:14,220 --> 00:11:16,560 That we would be those that could find peace. 169 00:11:16,560 --> 00:11:19,120 That those around us would see that peace. 170 00:11:19,120 --> 00:11:23,400 That it would just radiate from us and people would come up to us and say, man, I don't 171 00:11:23,400 --> 00:11:25,620 know how in the world you're getting through this. 172 00:11:25,620 --> 00:11:27,040 I don't know how you can be at peace. 173 00:11:27,040 --> 00:11:29,680 I don't know how you're not scared to death. 174 00:11:29,680 --> 00:11:33,880 And we can respond because I'm trusting in God. 175 00:11:33,880 --> 00:11:36,180 What a beautiful testimony that is. 176 00:11:36,180 --> 00:11:41,200 If we live our life in such a way that people can see that peace of God in us and we may 177 00:11:41,200 --> 00:11:47,220 can tell others about that peace and maybe it'll help them to find peace in their situation. 178 00:11:47,220 --> 00:11:52,480 And maybe they can find some comfort in their situation as well. 179 00:11:52,480 --> 00:11:59,340 Verse nine, because you have made the Lord my refuge, the most high, your dwelling place, 180 00:11:59,340 --> 00:12:01,360 no harm will come to you. 181 00:12:01,360 --> 00:12:04,880 No plague will come near you. 182 00:12:04,880 --> 00:12:08,940 Here we see that same idea of being close to God. 183 00:12:08,940 --> 00:12:11,360 That we're making God our refuge, our most high. 184 00:12:11,360 --> 00:12:14,180 That we are making him our dwelling place. 185 00:12:14,180 --> 00:12:17,300 That we are dwelling with God. 186 00:12:17,300 --> 00:12:18,920 We've not wandered off from God. 187 00:12:18,920 --> 00:12:20,320 We're not out there living for the world. 188 00:12:20,320 --> 00:12:22,600 We're not out there living for ourself. 189 00:12:22,600 --> 00:12:28,680 But here again for this third time we see this idea of living in closeness to God, of 190 00:12:28,680 --> 00:12:35,560 dwelling close to God, of being in his protection, of being under his wings, of being in that 191 00:12:35,560 --> 00:12:38,080 safe place. 192 00:12:38,080 --> 00:12:40,560 And we need safe place in our life. 193 00:12:40,560 --> 00:12:44,520 Every one of us do because there are days that are tough and that are scary. 194 00:12:44,520 --> 00:12:48,760 And so we need that safe place that we can retreat to. 195 00:12:48,760 --> 00:12:54,520 And that safe place is in the presence of God. 196 00:12:54,520 --> 00:12:59,360 Verse 11, excuse me, verse 10, no harm will come to you. 197 00:12:59,360 --> 00:13:02,300 No plague will come to your tent. 198 00:13:02,300 --> 00:13:07,500 For he will give his angels orders concerning you to protect you in all your ways. 199 00:13:07,500 --> 00:13:11,800 They will support you with their hands so that you will not strike your foot against 200 00:13:11,800 --> 00:13:13,120 the stone. 201 00:13:13,120 --> 00:13:15,520 You will tread on the lion and the cobra. 202 00:13:15,520 --> 00:13:19,160 You will trample the young lion and the serpent. 203 00:13:19,160 --> 00:13:25,040 Now verse 11 here you may recognize from Matthew chapter 4. 204 00:13:25,040 --> 00:13:31,240 Now when Jesus first began his ministry, the devil tried to tempt Jesus three different 205 00:13:31,240 --> 00:13:32,440 ways. 206 00:13:32,440 --> 00:13:39,000 And one of the ways was is that he told Jesus, hey, just jump off from this high spot and 207 00:13:39,000 --> 00:13:47,120 you're going to be okay because Psalm 91, 11 says that God will not allow you to die. 208 00:13:47,120 --> 00:13:48,120 He's going to take care of you. 209 00:13:48,120 --> 00:13:50,320 He's not going to allow you to hit the ground. 210 00:13:50,320 --> 00:13:53,400 His angels are going to come and they're going to protect you and they're going to take care 211 00:13:53,400 --> 00:13:54,600 of you. 212 00:13:54,600 --> 00:13:57,200 Now this is very clever of the devil. 213 00:13:57,200 --> 00:13:59,360 He's very, very clever. 214 00:13:59,360 --> 00:14:01,440 He's not stupid. 215 00:14:01,440 --> 00:14:04,720 And obviously he knows the word of God. 216 00:14:04,720 --> 00:14:09,440 And just because he knows the word of God doesn't mean he listens to the word of God. 217 00:14:09,440 --> 00:14:10,440 There's a difference. 218 00:14:10,440 --> 00:14:14,480 We want to make sure that if we know the word of God, that we listen to the word of God 219 00:14:14,480 --> 00:14:19,440 because even the devil knows the word of God, but he doesn't pay any attention to it. 220 00:14:19,440 --> 00:14:24,960 Instead of using it for his benefit, he tried to use it to get Jesus to stumble. 221 00:14:24,960 --> 00:14:29,120 And perhaps he tries to do the same thing for you and I. 222 00:14:29,120 --> 00:14:30,120 He took a scripture. 223 00:14:30,120 --> 00:14:31,960 He took it out of context. 224 00:14:31,960 --> 00:14:33,400 He twisted it. 225 00:14:33,400 --> 00:14:36,320 But Jesus was far more clever than the devil. 226 00:14:36,320 --> 00:14:41,880 As smart as the devil may have thought he was, Jesus said, but the scripture also says, 227 00:14:41,880 --> 00:14:43,400 do not test God. 228 00:14:43,400 --> 00:14:48,080 You see, there's a difference between trusting God and testing God. 229 00:14:48,080 --> 00:14:51,960 There's a difference between saying I'm in a hard time. 230 00:14:51,960 --> 00:14:53,120 Everything is against me. 231 00:14:53,120 --> 00:14:57,960 I'm scared, but I'm going to trust God to deliver me through this and I'm not going 232 00:14:57,960 --> 00:15:01,240 to be afraid and I'm going to do what God caused me to do. 233 00:15:01,240 --> 00:15:03,320 I'm going to walk into the danger zone. 234 00:15:03,320 --> 00:15:07,720 I'm going to go where God caused me to go and I will not be afraid because I trust in 235 00:15:07,720 --> 00:15:08,720 God. 236 00:15:08,720 --> 00:15:09,720 Now that's a beautiful thing. 237 00:15:09,720 --> 00:15:10,720 That's a good thing. 238 00:15:10,720 --> 00:15:13,080 That's what we're seeing here in Psalm 91. 239 00:15:13,080 --> 00:15:16,480 But that's different than saying God is going to protect me. 240 00:15:16,480 --> 00:15:17,640 There's nothing that can harm me. 241 00:15:17,640 --> 00:15:21,000 I'm going to go do whatever I want to do and I'm invincible. 242 00:15:21,000 --> 00:15:22,560 Now that's testing God. 243 00:15:22,560 --> 00:15:24,840 That's saying, okay, God, you say you're going to test me. 244 00:15:24,840 --> 00:15:26,080 I'm going to try you, God. 245 00:15:26,080 --> 00:15:29,400 I'm going to go do this thing and I'm going to see what you're going to do. 246 00:15:29,400 --> 00:15:30,400 Well that's different. 247 00:15:30,400 --> 00:15:34,320 I know what the devil wanted Jesus to do, but Jesus was far too clever. 248 00:15:34,320 --> 00:15:36,520 Jesus certainly trusted God. 249 00:15:36,520 --> 00:15:41,680 Jesus certainly knew that God would be with him and that God would deliver him and take 250 00:15:41,680 --> 00:15:45,840 care of him and protect him, which he did. 251 00:15:45,840 --> 00:15:50,280 But Jesus also knew there would come a time that he would have to fulfill the plan of 252 00:15:50,280 --> 00:15:51,820 God. 253 00:15:51,820 --> 00:15:56,160 And perhaps that's a good reminder in there for us in that way too. 254 00:15:56,160 --> 00:16:01,000 That God is going to be with us, that God will never allow anything to happen to us 255 00:16:01,000 --> 00:16:03,920 that is not part of his plan. 256 00:16:03,920 --> 00:16:08,480 But then again, there are some things that are part of God's plan that we just have to 257 00:16:08,480 --> 00:16:10,280 trust in God. 258 00:16:10,280 --> 00:16:16,760 Not test God, but we trust God and whatever happens according to God's will is what we 259 00:16:16,760 --> 00:16:18,100 need to do. 260 00:16:18,100 --> 00:16:21,100 We need to be willing to be like Jesus in that way. 261 00:16:21,100 --> 00:16:27,140 To know that even if hard times come, God has not abandoned us and ultimately God will 262 00:16:27,140 --> 00:16:28,840 deliver us. 263 00:16:28,840 --> 00:16:34,040 Sometimes he delivers us in this life and sometimes he delivers us from this life. 264 00:16:34,040 --> 00:16:36,040 But God is our deliverer. 265 00:16:36,040 --> 00:16:40,720 He is our protection and he is the one that is in control of our life. 266 00:16:40,720 --> 00:16:46,360 And so if God, it tells us to go, if he's with us and he gives us something that we're 267 00:16:46,360 --> 00:16:49,440 up against, then he's going to give us the strength to get through it. 268 00:16:49,440 --> 00:16:54,160 He's going to protect us until the time comes that he is ready to take us on because he 269 00:16:54,160 --> 00:16:55,600 is the one who is in control. 270 00:16:55,600 --> 00:17:01,320 So we have nothing to fear and no one to fear in this world because the world is not in 271 00:17:01,320 --> 00:17:02,520 control. 272 00:17:02,520 --> 00:17:09,440 There's nothing that will happen to us apart from what God allows to happen to us. 273 00:17:09,440 --> 00:17:16,440 Verse 14, because he has lovingly devoted to me, this is God speaking here, I will deliver 274 00:17:16,440 --> 00:17:17,440 him. 275 00:17:17,440 --> 00:17:20,440 I will protect him because he knows my name. 276 00:17:20,440 --> 00:17:23,440 When he calls out to me, I will answer him. 277 00:17:23,440 --> 00:17:25,360 I will be with him in trouble. 278 00:17:25,360 --> 00:17:28,360 I will rescue him and give him honor. 279 00:17:28,360 --> 00:17:35,000 I will satisfy him with a long life and show him my salvation. 280 00:17:35,000 --> 00:17:40,040 Isn't that a beautiful word there at the end that if we would just call out to God in our 281 00:17:40,040 --> 00:17:43,360 day of trouble, he would be our salvation. 282 00:17:43,360 --> 00:17:45,760 And so the question is, do we? 283 00:17:45,760 --> 00:17:47,160 Well, maybe we do. 284 00:17:47,160 --> 00:17:48,680 I hope we do. 285 00:17:48,680 --> 00:17:53,460 Maybe we call out to God instantly in our times of trouble. 286 00:17:53,460 --> 00:17:57,880 Maybe sometimes we're so caught up in the worry of stress, we go a half a day worrying 287 00:17:57,880 --> 00:18:02,280 about something, upset about something, afraid about something and it's three o'clock before 288 00:18:02,280 --> 00:18:03,280 it dawns on us. 289 00:18:03,280 --> 00:18:04,760 You know, maybe I should pray about this. 290 00:18:04,760 --> 00:18:05,760 No, I don't. 291 00:18:05,760 --> 00:18:06,760 Y'all probably don't do that. 292 00:18:06,760 --> 00:18:07,960 I'm ashamed to say that I do. 293 00:18:07,960 --> 00:18:08,960 It should be so natural. 294 00:18:08,960 --> 00:18:11,360 That should be the first thing that I think about. 295 00:18:11,360 --> 00:18:16,160 But man, I get caught up in all the stresses and the worries and the things of the world. 296 00:18:16,160 --> 00:18:19,720 And then sometimes I catch myself and I say, what? 297 00:18:19,720 --> 00:18:21,360 I hadn't even prayed about this. 298 00:18:21,360 --> 00:18:27,520 It'd be a good place for us to start and everything in life is to start by calling out to the 299 00:18:27,520 --> 00:18:32,880 Lord and say, God, I need you because I'm just kind of stumbling my way through this 300 00:18:32,880 --> 00:18:36,200 world and I'm not doing too good of a job. 301 00:18:36,200 --> 00:18:41,080 And the world is against me and life is against me and the devil's against me and I'm struggling 302 00:18:41,080 --> 00:18:45,600 and I'm stressed and I'm worried and I'm afraid and I don't know if I can make it another 303 00:18:45,600 --> 00:18:46,920 day, dear Lord. 304 00:18:46,920 --> 00:18:54,200 So I come into your presence and I call on you because God, your word says in Psalm 91 305 00:18:54,200 --> 00:18:55,200 that you'll hear me. 306 00:18:55,200 --> 00:18:59,400 That if I trust in you, that you'll protect me, that you'll be with me. 307 00:18:59,400 --> 00:19:04,880 Let us take these words to heart today that we would be those who would call on the Lord. 308 00:19:04,880 --> 00:19:05,880 Let's pray. 309 00:19:05,880 --> 00:19:08,200 God, we thank you for your good word. 310 00:19:08,200 --> 00:19:12,280 I pray that we would listen to this word, that we would remember this word, that we 311 00:19:12,280 --> 00:19:17,720 would learn from this word and that tonight, dear Lord, if we are not, that we would dwell 312 00:19:17,720 --> 00:19:22,880 closely in your presence, that we would be in your shadow, dear Lord, that we would not 313 00:19:22,880 --> 00:19:29,360 be wandering away in things of the world, that we would find protection in your presence, 314 00:19:29,360 --> 00:19:36,040 that we would find a safe place, dear Lord, that just as a mama bird takes care of her 315 00:19:36,040 --> 00:19:39,000 baby birds, dear Lord, so you take care of us. 316 00:19:39,000 --> 00:19:42,680 God, we can't leave the nest, we can't fend for ourself. 317 00:19:42,680 --> 00:19:45,200 There's no way we can make it, dear Lord. 318 00:19:45,200 --> 00:19:49,680 So we need you to come and meet us where we are and hold on tight to us. 319 00:19:49,680 --> 00:19:52,080 Let us hold on tight to you, dear Lord. 320 00:19:52,080 --> 00:19:55,480 Let us never test you, but let us always trust you. 321 00:19:55,480 --> 00:19:59,040 Let us be faithful to call out to you on our deepest, darkest days. 322 00:19:59,040 --> 00:20:05,240 God, let us praise you on the good days and let us call out for you on the tough days. 323 00:20:05,240 --> 00:20:09,480 And I ask these things in Jesus' name, amen.