A place in the shade

A place in the shade
At Church Nazarene Weston-s-Mare 25 July 1999
Psalm 91:1-16

1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High

will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

11 For he will command his angels concerning you

to guard you in all your ways;

12 they will lift you up in their hands,

so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.

This psalm has always been a source of rich encouragement - particularly in times of danger or war.

It is a promise of protection and safety - in the shadow of the Almighty.

I want to select some of its phrases - especially the first verse and verses 11 and 12.

You will recall that it is a psalm famous for its use in the narrative of the Temptations of Christ - q.v. Luke 4 10 & 11.

We will divide it in this way:

1. A place in the shade

2. A ministry of angels

3. How to be sure of this protection

In a temperate climate like ours we do not often easily relate to the idea of a PLACE OF SHADE - but just recently we have needed such!

I. A PLACE IN THE SHADE
1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High

will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

(a) A place of protection

The Psalmist explains in v 4

He will cover you with his feathers

and under His wings you will find refuge;

His faithfulness will be your shield and rampart

He uses an analogy from the world of nature - he sees the mother bird sheltering her young under her wing

He recognises the faithful care of his God.

Come close and prove His protection.

(b) A place of proximity

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High v1

If you make the Most High your dwelling -

even the Lord who is my refuge v9

There is more to this imagery than just being on God's side -

We need to be close to Him.

We have proved in the last couple of days the value of shade. Certainly the OT writers who were very familiar with the midday heat and unrelenting sun frequently use this figure of speech.

Psalm 121:1-8

I lift up my eyes to the hills --

where does my help come from?

2 My help comes from the LORD,

the Maker of heaven and earth.

3 He will not let your foot slip --

he who watches over you will not slumber;

4 indeed, he who watches over Israel

will neither slumber nor sleep.

5 The LORD watches over you --

the LORD is your shade at your right hand;

6 the sun will not harm you by day,

nor the moon by night.

7 The LORD will keep you from all harm --

he will watch over your life;

8 the LORD will watch over your coming and going

both now and for evermore. (NIV)

II A MINISTRY OF ANGELS

It is not often that we reflect on Satan as offering an endorsement for a verse of Scripture - but we are inclined to forget that he knows it and uses it...

Luke 4:9-12

9 The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. "If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down from here. 10 For it is written:

" 'He will command his angels concerning you

to guard you carefully;

11 they will lift you up in their hands,

so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'"

12 Jesus answered, "It says: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'" (NIV)

What an astonishing promise that is!

11 For he will command his angels concerning you

to guard you in all your ways;

Don't forget the ministry of angels ~

~ Jesus knew it for Himself

~Many, like Peter, knew it too

~and Jesus seems to echo this promise in His speaking of children

having their angels

Matthew 18:10

10 "See that you do not look down on one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven. (NIV)

(a) There are other dimensions to this troubled life

Other battlefields unseen

Other forces fighting for us

(b) These powerful, knowing beings have been expressly COMMANDED to guard God's people!

A personal escort

bodyguard

defender

minder . . .

"concerning you ..."

Then I matter Lord !

Yes you do.

which beautifully demonstrates the loving care of my Almighty Father:

v12 they will lift you up in their hands,

so that you will not strike your foot against a stone

I have always seen this verse in connection with its NT context of Jesus being tempted to throw Himself down

In the psalm it is a ministry to stones and my feet!

If you have ever got one in your shoe or trod in thin soles on a pebble beach or sharp stones you'll understand.

The Psalmist sees the angels commanded to LIFT YOU UP

not so much in a majestic sweep across huge mountains - but from small stones that would hurt!

What a caring Lord we have.

III HOW TO BE SURE OF THIS PROTECTION

(a) Keep close

v1 he who dwells

v9 if you make the Most High your dwelling. . .

(b) Trust Him

v2 ". . .in whom I trust. . ."

v4 depending on His faithfulness

v14 "Because he loves me," says the Lord, "I will rescue him;

I will protect him, . . ."

(d) Acknowledge His name

v14 ". . .for he acknowledges my name"

So you will be sure of

A PLACE IN THE SHADE.