Who doesn't like protection?
This Psalm is a very powerful one but the mistake people make is thinking it is for everyone.
To enjoy the protection as described in this Scripture then one must understand the context and meaning of this powerful chapter.
What we will be doing in this teaching is breaking this chapter down and explaining as clearly as possible.
PSALM 91
He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
Psalms 91:1 KJV
First of all what/where is this secret place?
As taught in our last sermon "The Private Place",
It is the place where we spend time with God, the place where we have intellectual conversations with God. The place where God speaks to us and empowers us.
It is the place where we get intimate with God, where we get to know Him. Where He reveals Himself to us, where He reveals His secrets to us. Where we learn to know and recognize His voice and walk in obedience with Him.
The secret place is where we become friends of God. Where we gist, have communion and fellowship with Him.
Secret means it is a place that has to be found. A place that is not known to all. A secluded place.
Back to verse 1 of Psalm 91, it says he who dwells in this secret place, not he who comes and go. For most Christians, the secret place is where they run to when life's situation arises, or maybe when they are in the mood, they run there occasionally. For most, there is no habitual residence in the secret place. To dwell is to live permanently in a place. The word “dwells” came from the Hebrew word yashab, which means to “sit down, settle, remain, and inhabit.”
He who dwells in the secret place of the most high. The Hebrew word for Most High is Elyon and this word was derived from another meaning "to ascend". The Most High God is the one who ascends above all.
Is not God in the height of heaven? and behold the height of the stars, how high they are!
Job 22:12 KJV.
Now he who dwells in the secret place of the Most High God shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty
We already established that the Most High God is ascended high above all, in the heights of the heaven. So whoever dwells in the secret place is in this same ascended space with God.
Let me explain the significance of this.
When scientists shoot things into the sky, with time they get lost in the cloud. We can't see them anymore because they've ascended higher than our sight.
Now imagine God higher than any rocket can reach and we dwelling there with him. We are covered. All that can be seen is His shadow because we are very tiny and small in this space. His presence shields and overshadows us. We become invisible to external eyes. We are concealed by the dark clouds of His Glory.
Communion with God is safety
I'm hoping this analogy makes sense.
Back to our Scripture.
I'd like us to read from the message translation.
You who sit down in the High God’s presence, spend the night in Shaddai’s shadow, Say this:
Psalm 91 vs 1 MSG
I like this translation. It makes it clear that only those that have done the instruction here have the right to go further. It is until you sit in the secret place that you can get the immunity and protection that comes from it.
It is those that sit in this secret place that can say that the Lord is their fortress and strength.
I will say that He is my God, in whom I trust
It is in the secret place we learn to rely solely on God. It is there we get boldness and assurance that come what may He is there for us.
And in putting our trust in Him, we know that surely He will deliver us from the Fowler's snare and noisome pestilence. God's truth will become your buckler and shield. The secret place is where we get deep revelations of the word and this word comes alive and act as a shield to us, protection. (vs4). Safety comes from communion with God which happens only in the secret place
You shall not be afraid of the terror by night,
Nor of the arrow that flies by day,
Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness,
Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday._
Vs 5-6
Communion and fellowship with God opens your eyes to the extent God can go for you so for such people there is no fear.
Let it be known to you that, you like it or not arrows will fly, pestilence will walk, destruction is waiting but because you spend time with God you are not afraid.
Vs 7 (this is the very first part that was revealed to me some time ago)
A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.
Psalms 91:7 KJV
A lot of us declare this.
We actually think it is our enemies that fall at our side.
Lol.
Let's have a picture of a battle (I'm sure we've seen this in movies). Is the person you are fighting against by your side or your right hand? No.
They come from opposite you.. The people that stay beside you in battle are fellow warriors.
The one thousand that fall by the side and ten thousand by the right side are actually Christians
Fellow Christians fighting this fight of faith with you are the ones falling by your side.
The arrows that are being shot will definitely put Christians down we like it or not. The only ones these arrows won't come near are those who dwell in the secret place of God.
I want you to first take a moment and think,
Where do you stand in all of this?
Are you the person in the middle safe from all the arrows coming or you are one of the thousand or ten thousand that has already been hit by the arrow or yet to be hit
Be truthful to yourself.
I know someone is thinking in their mind "but I'm a Christian, I accepted Christ"
You are actually still a Christian. Accepting Christ is what gave you salvation and that is just the beginning.
There are so many things that comes after for our life here on earth (rest in the finished works of Christ, fellowship etc).
See, if you don't have fellowship/communion with God, you will not just be among the thousand or 10 thousand, even the arrow that wasn't being shot at you will touch you. It will penetrate.
Stray bullet will hit you badly.
This is not to scare us.
A lot of Christians are going through some struggles in life because of this and they don't know.
You've been praying for 1000 beside you to fall, you don't know you are part.
This is a time for us to check ourselves.
Where exactly do you stand?
Now why was David or Moses praying this prayer?
(We are not sure who wrote this particular Psalm. Some say it's Moses, others David).
He was not praying for 1000 and 10000 Christians to fall.
He was only saying it as it is.
That I know truly that millions of believers fighting this fight of faith with me may fall but because I have made you my hiding place, none of these things will come near me.
So next time you are declaring Psalm 91, vs 7 is not a prayer for those standing beside you in battle to fall.
Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.
Psalms 91:8 KJV
So many christians will die due to these arrows shot at them (spiritually).
Sadly, those that dwell in the secret place will see all of this take place from our place of immunity.
And we will also see the reward of the wicked.
Because thou hast made the Lord , which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;
Psalms 91:9 KJV
Vs 9 starts with the clause that leads to the assurance again, making the Lord your dwelling place.
The Holy Spirit just ministered something to me now. We all have houses where we live. Why don't we sleep on the road or streets?
Simply because it is not safe.
Our homes are a place of shelter and safety.
As a Christian, the secret place is your safe place. You can't afford to sleep on the streets, the enemy will steal from you. Bad men will come and rape you.
The Lord is telling us tonight, we have a home and shelter in Him. Come to that secured place. Stop sleeping outside
Vs 10 downwards.
I like the part where it says you shall tread upon lions and cobras.
This shows that we are not just survivors in this war where thousands have fallen.
Those who dwell in God's secret place, in the midst of others falling, they will not run back away from the battle to be saved. They are victors. They walk on their enemies.
You see men of God do some things and you wonder how it happens consistently. Like it is very evident the healing is not by chance or the answered prayers. It comes from a place of fellowship with God.
The concluding verses:
Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him. With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.
Psalms 91:14-16 KJV
See, you cannot love God if you first don't understand how deep His love for you is.
You cannot say that you love God if you disobey Him every time.
If ye love me, keep my commandments.
John 14:15 KJV
I've noticed in a while now that it seems like my love for God is increasing. Like I'm understanding deeply His love for me and somehow it's increasing mine.
It leaves me in awe.
You can never know how much God loves you unless you get in fellowship with Him.
This love you think you know, it's not even half of it.
Everyday, His love is revealed to us in more ways and it leaves us in awe. Like, is this me this man loves like this?
So somebody can choose to love me this way?
When the love of God hits you hard, the only way you can respond to it is by loving Him back
Those that spend time with God, that fellowship with Him consistently, they don't have to pray for 5days during deliverance.
You see all these big men of God, they will just stand and demons will scatter.
See, it is the result from the secret place you are seeing.
When they call upon God, they don't need to fight battle and call and call, God answers immediately cos they've been calling upon Him privately for a long period.
The Lord honors such people.
The secret place is for those who love God, those who truly want more of Him. If you want it for show, you will get bored.
From all we've read tonight, we can see that God owns the secret place. He is the one in charge. This secret place is guarded by the most powerful, supreme, and almighty Being. No one can breach its defenses.
Whoever wants to get at the man in the secret place has to first get through God.
Same way if the rockets get lost in space without signals, the scientist must send something into the same space to find and rescue
The safest place in the universe is God's secret place. Stay there
Thank you!
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