Jesus and Psalm 91

Have you ever been talking to someone and a scripture for them appears in your thoughts?

It happens to me quite a bit. I believe it's because I ask Father God to give me the words I need to say to people. 

A couple days ago, I told someone I felt like the Lord wanted them to read Psalm 91.  Psalm 91 is also one of my go-to verses to read. 

The next morning I received a text from the same person and I reached for my study Bible and opened it to Psalm 91. As I read through the study notes and shared a bit on how this psalm is arranged, it occurred to me I was studying Psalm 91 too! After a moment of laughter at how sneaky Jesus is, I shared that Jesus wanted me to study Psalm 91, too. 

It's been a few days since I last read Psalm 91. 

To amuse myself, I was scrolling through the items on my Temu app. I didn't really need anything, I was just looking at the bargains. A t-shirt appears and I burst into laughter.  Guess what it said? That's right, printed across the chest was PSALM 91!  Above and below the PSALM 91 was verse 2. I did say Jesus was sneaky right? 

Anyway, I grabbed my study Bible and started reading Psalm 91 again. 

 

I Want to Be Under His Wings

He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.     

Psalm 91:4 NIV 

I'm a farm girl.

 As a young girl,  I would go into the hen house with my mom and see the baby chicks trying to peep out from underneath the mother hen's wings and feathers. Mother hen would patiently tuck each little head back under her feathers. 

When I read Psalm 91:4

 I get a mental picture of myself under God's wing, covered by his feathers, in a safe place to rest, and shielded by his faithfulness. Security is the word that comes to mind as I think about this picture. The security to be free from fear or anxiety. God has me covered with his feathers. Everything will be okay. After all, all things are possible for God.  I think I will continue to place myself under his wing and let him take care of each situation as it arises in my life today. If I try to start doing things my way, I want him to tuck me back under his wing. 

His Faithfulness

This verse also says his faithfulness will be my shield and my rampart. Do you see his faithfulness as a shield? I do. He sure has gone to great lengths to rescue his people from all kinds of situations in the Bible. Slavery in Egypt, fiery furnaces, lion dens, victory over much larger armies, ...etc. If he can do all of these things, I KNOW he can take care of every situation that I am going to face.  His faithfulness walls me in like a buffer zone. I am shielded and protected. No matter what is going on around me, He will be there, surrounding me and protecting me. I don't know about you, but I feel safe and secure as I read these words. 

Turning to God in all things

Running to the shelter of his wing

Under his wing I will find refuge

Shielded and surrounded by God's faithfulness

Trusting his faithfulness in every situation

Trust in the Lord : Proverbs 3:5-6

Trust in the Lord with all your heart

Trust. Believe He is taking care of everything. Have no doubt. Believe this 100%. Have no doubt.

And lean not on your own understanding

Do not do it my way. My way takes me out of His way. Have faith and do not try and deal with life on my own.

In all your ways acknowledge Him

Talk to Him. All. The. Time.  Say thank you for blessings. Ask for help in all things. That's not weakness. It's strength. Ask for guidance today in all things. Acknowledge that God is first in all my activities. Pray. Talk. Share.

And He shall direct your paths.

Shall means will. He will direct my paths. Right now. He is in charge. He is the director. I am not. 

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.

Proverbs 3:5-6 NKJV

Verse of the Week - Galatians 2:20

Paul acquaints us with what his own judgment and practice were. 

• That he was dead to the law. Whatever account others might make of it for his part, he was dead to it. 
• He knew that the moral law denounced a curse against all that did not continue in all things written in the law and therefore he was dead to it, as to all hope of justification and salvation that way. 
• As for the ceremonial law, he also knew that it was now antiquated and superseded by the coming of Christ. He was therefore dead to the law, through the law itself. By considering the law itself, he saw that justification was not to be expected by the works of it (since none could perform a perfect obedience to it) and that there was now no further need of the sacrifices and purifications of it, since they were done away in Christ. 
• A stop was put to them by Jesus offering up himself a sacrifice for us; and therefore, the more Paul looked into it the more he saw that there was no occasion for keeping up that regard to the law which the Jews pleaded for. 
• Paul had renounced all hopes of justification by the works of the law, and was unwilling any longer to continue under the bondage of it; but he was far from thinking himself discharged from his duty to God.
• On the contrary, he was dead to the law, that he might live for God. 
• The doctrine of the gospel, which he had embraced, instead of weakening the bond of duty upon him, strengthened and confirmed it; and though he was dead to the law, yet it was only in order to his living a new and better life to God.
•  (as Rom. 7:4, 6), Paul's new life would be more agreeable and acceptable to God than his observance of the Mosaic law.
• A life of faith in Christ, and, under the influence of Jesus, was a life of holiness and righteousness towards God. 

Paul also acquaints us with

• That, as he was dead to the law, so he was alive to God through Jesus Christ.
•  (v. 20): I am crucified with Christ, etc. 

And here Paul gives us an excellent description of the life of a believer.

• He is crucified, and yet he lives; the old man is crucified (Rom. 6:6), but the new man is living; 

• he is dead to the world, and dead to the law, and yet alive to God and Christ; 

• sin is mortified, and grace quickened. 

• He lives, and yet not he. This is strange: I live, and yet not I; 

• he lives in the exercise of grace; 

• he has the comforts and the triumphs of grace; and yet that grace is not from himself, but from another. 

• Believers see themselves living in a state of dependence.  

• He is crucified with Christ, and yet Christ lives in him; this results from his mystical union with Christ, by means of which he is interested in the death of Christ, so as by virtue of that to die unto sin; and yet interested in the life of Christ, so as by virtue of that to live unto God. 

• He lives in the flesh, and yet lives by faith; to outward appearance he lives as other people do, his natural life is supported as others are; yet he has a higher and nobler principle that supports and actuates him, that of faith in Christ, and especially as eyeing the wonders of his love in giving himself for him. 

• Hence it is that, though he lives in the flesh, yet he does not live after the flesh. 

• Those who have true faith live by that faith; and the great thing which faith fastens upon is Christ’s loving us and giving himself for us.  

• The great evidence of Christ’s loving us is his giving himself for us; and this is that which we are chiefly concerned to mix faith with, in order to live for him.

Lastly, The apostle concludes...if righteousness comes by the law, then it must follow that Jesus Christ has died in vain; for, if we look for salvation by the law of Moses, then we render the death of Jesus needless: for to what purpose should he be appointed to die, if we might have been saved without it?

Adapted from Matthew Henry's Complete Exposition of the Entire Bible 

Verse of the Week - Galatians 1:18-20

John Gill Wrote*

• Then after three years, I (Paul) went up to Jerusalem... Not three years after his return to Damascus, but after his conversion; and now it was that he moved to become a member of the church at Jerusalem; 
• They did not care to admit him to the church, fearing that he was not a disciple, until Barnabas took him, and brought him to the Apostles Peter and James, and related his conversion and his boldness in preaching the Gospel at Damascus.
• Paul's view in going up to Jerusalem at this time was partly his own safety, being obliged to fly from Damascus, but chiefly to see Peter. 
• Paul went not to see what sort of a man he was, but to pay him a Christian visit; to talk with him about spiritual things; to know how the work of God went on under him...and to relate to him...but not to receive the Gospel from him, or to be ordained a preacher of it by him.
• Paul had already in the work of the ministry for three years before he made this visit to Peter; and besides, his stay with him was very short, (15 days) nor could he have received much from him, in so short a time, in an ordinary way.
• During this time, Paul wasn't just visiting with Peter but he was also coming in and going out at Jerusalem, where he preached boldly in the name of Christ and disputed against the Grecians.                           

*adapted from Gills Exposition of the Entire Bible

Verse of the Week - Galatians 1:10

Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people?
Good questions aren't they? As I grew to maturity as a branch on the Lord's vine, I had to be willing to let God prune some extra leaves and twigs from my actions and behaviors. One of behaviors that had to be pruned, or removed was my need to be a people pleaser. Yep, I had a terrible time learning that I could not please people first and God last. Below, is a list of lessons I have learned and strive to live by today.

• I can only accomplish a set number of tasks in today.
• Go to bed early and get up earlier to finish a task. I work more efficiently when I am rested. 
• It is okay to gracefully say no. Example: Thank-you so much for thinking of me. However, I already have a full calendar at that time.  Another graceful way to turn someone down is: I am so happy that you thought of me for this job, but I already have commitment(s) for that time, day, or week. 
• Giving of myself to gain approval - wanting others to recognize my contribution and give me a little pat on the head - is putting man above God. It isn't okay
• Faith requires me to go ahead and step out to do what God tells me to do, even when I feel fear. 
• There are always going to be people who don't like me and it is okay. 

Did you catch what I said about the lessons? 

I am striving, or trying, to live this way.  Am I always successful at living this way? Of course not. However, the moment I become aware that people pleasing behavior has crept back into my life, I remove it as quickly as possible through the following actions:  

First, I call on my father in heaven and ask him to remove that people pleasing sprout that has sprung up again. 

Then, I tell him I am willing to have it taken away. 

After that, I tell him that I am his to command and that I only want to do his will and not mine. The time in between each people pleasing pruning has become longer and longer as I trust my heavenly father to continue to shape me into the person he has plans for. 

If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.
To be a bold witness for Jesus, I cannot worry about pleasing people. I can only please Jesus. I am his servant and that is all the approval that I need. Jesus gave me a job to do. I have to tell others about the Good News of Jesus Christ. My Jesus loves me and cares about me. God knows me intimately and sent the Holy Spirit to live in me. I don't need any more approval than that. Amen?

Verse of the Week - Galatians 1:8-9

Paul Speaks a Stern Truth
Paul didn't mince any words in telling the Galatian churches that there is only one gospel and that if anyone else is preaching a gospel, other than the one they accepted through Paul's evangelism, that the consequence is condemnation.

I know this sounds harsh, but many people want to preach a gospel that isn't the one Jesus taught and these gospels don't lead you to eternal life through Jesus Christ. False gospels lead to death and Jesus' gospel leads to eternal life. It is life and death for you and I to know the truth.
You don't have to earn your salvation.
Salvation is a free gift because Jesus already paid the price. My NIV Disciple's Study Bible states it this way on page 1490:

People still find it difficult to accept salvation as a free gift. They want to earn it, so they develop a code or ritual to justify themselves. Even more sadly, they fall prey to cults and sects which have an "aura of holiness" about them because they emphasize some kind of legal regimen which requires discipline...It is his (Jesus') crucifixion that sets us free to serve Him in love-not anything we have done, are doing, or will do. 

Brothers and sisters, don't listen to false gospels and preaching.
Know what your bible says. Don't use the excuse that man interpreted God's divinely inspired word into different versions and now it isn't God's word. That is the deceiver trying to keep you from the truth of God's word.
God's Divinely Inspired Words Have Not Been Changed
Use a parallel bible app, bible study website, and bible commentaries to learn that the original Greek and Hebrew has not been warped. For several years, I use biblehub.com to compare the different bible editions with Strong's Greek and Hebrew translations. God's original word has not been changed from the original, divinely inspired writings. 

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