For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence. ⁴He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler. —Psalm 91:3-4
The Fowler’s Snare
Satan is the fowler setting traps and snares to sabotage the Christian. But he cannot thwart the purposes of God in the life of the believer. For God the Most High, the Almighty, has secured everyone who is in Christ Jesus. No amount of trickery, luring, deceit, or bribery can undermine the work that God is doing in those who are trusting in Christ and walking by His Spirit. Our enemy is fierce and he is smarter than we are, but he is not smarter than our Deliverer. If you find yourself caught in the trap of sin today, cry out to God, our refuge and fortress. Hide in Him and let Him work on your heart to free you from the snare of sin, to once again walk in the light. He will do it if you will turn to Him.
The Deadly Pestilence
There is no deadly pestilence that can kill the Christian eternally. We will suffer the weaknesses of our flesh here on earth, but we can confidently say with our brother Job, “I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last He will take His stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God.” (VERSE)
Jesus our Redeemer has risen from the dead and secured our resurrection from the dead. One day we will rise with glorified bodies that do not waste away and will live forever where sin and its damaging effects have no place. God has given us real and tangible hope when we suffer. Even though our strength and our heart may fail, the Lord will not leave us, but He himself will be the strength of our heart and our portion forever. He is our God who raises the dead, who has delivered us, is now delivering us, and will deliver us. It is He on whom we have set our hope (2 Corinthians 1:9-10).
His Pinions
The Lord has the softest down under His wings; a pocket of security right next to His heart reserved for His children. The Lord, who is our fortress, is mighty, but He is not cold stone. Have you known the protection and warm comfort of His wings? Why do you wait? Come to Him and be enfolded in the feathers of His love. He will hide you there in the secret place away from danger and fear.
His Faithfulness
Hidden in our God, we shamelessly take up the shield and buckler to go into battle. He is our defense. When we engage in the war against evil, it is not in our own strength, but in the power of every faithful word from God’s mouth. He has proven His faithfulness to every promise and this knowledge equips us with the boldness and courage we need for life. We belong to the Lord and it is He who initiated the covenant with us and keeps us. It is almost too wonderful to comprehend, but He set His love on us, and has given us all we need to walk in a manner worthy of Him. Lift high your shield of faith and hold fast your buckler, strengthened by this hope that never disappoints.
For Reflection
Have you come under the wings of the Lord? What is keeping you from Him? (Study Romans 6:23 and Ephesians 2:8-9.)
Pray and consider ways you can give the comfort and encouragement of the Lord to those who are suffering physically. Write down your ideas and determine to begin fulfilling them.
In what ways do we see God protecting us from the snares of sin through membership in a local church? (See Galatians 6:1.)