Day 16: I Am Safe
Elevate 28 - A 28 Day Challenge to Intentionally Engage with God's Word
DAY 16
"He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say[a] to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”
For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler. You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor the destruction that wastes at noonday."
Psalm 91: 1-6
TEACHING
"Safe In God's Arms "
By Anne Graham Lotz via www.billygraham.org
In August, I was invited to be a member of a delegation of evangelical Christians that was traveling to Jerusalem to show our solidarity with Israel. One of the most memorable experiences I had while there took place south of Ashkelon, in a farming community on the Gaza border. The cease-fire between Hamas and Israel had ended the first night I was in Jerusalem, so hostilities were in full swing the next day when I visited the border region.
Three times while I was there, the sirens sounded, and I had less than 15 seconds to get into a bomb shelter. One missile attack ended harmlessly. Another one took out the house of our guide while he was leading us on tour. And another one was intercepted by the Iron Dome. We were able to witness the impact of the Israeli defense system as it intercepted the Hamas incoming missile. The sight was deceptive in that what looked like a white puffy cloud in the cobalt blue sky above us was, in fact, the explosion of an airborne bomb.
While meeting in a large bunker with the security team of the farming community, I read out loud Psalm 91. Those of us gathered around the table could almost hear God audibly speaking as He reassured everyone present that when we place our trust in Him, He Himself is our refuge. We are safe in Our Hiding Place.
Read Psalm 91. God’s Word shows us:
We Have His Presence
Psalm 91:1-2
What four words in these two verses are used to describe Our Hiding Place?
Look up each word in the dictionary, and write out the definition. What does each one mean to you?
What three conditions need to be met in order to experience His Presence in Our Hiding Place? Have you met those conditions?
What phrases from each of the following verses confirm that God Himself is Our Hiding Place? See Deuteronomy 33:27, 2 Samuel 22:3 and Psalm 46:1.
What difference does His presence make when our world unravels? Give phrases from Psalm 46.
Give the three pronouns in verses 1-2 that emphasize the psalmist’s personal relationship with God. On what basis can you make the same claim today?
We Have His Protection
Psalm 91:3-4
What two things does God save us from? Read verses 3-4, and give a contemporary application for each.
When He is Our Hiding Place, what are some other dangers He protects us from? See 2 Samuel 22:3 and Psalm 31:4.
What descriptive phrase emphasizes that the protection God gives is very personal to Him and to us? Read verse 4 and Matthew 23:37.
What object is used to describe God’s protection in verse 4?
In what practical way does a shield act as protection to the person behind it? How effective is the protection of a shield if a person steps out from behind it? Why is it critical to not allow any distance between the shield and the person being protected by it?
What does it mean to you that God Himself is your shield? See Genesis 15:1; Deuteronomy 33:12, 29; and Psalm 3:3.
Explain Ephesians 6:16 in your own words.
Based on these verses, how protected are you?
We Have His Peace
Psalm 91:5-6
In what four situations does Our Hiding Place provide peace? See verses 5-6.
Is there any reason to lose a good night’s sleep because of fear or worry? Consider Psalm 4:8 and Philippians 4:6-7.
What descriptions are used of Our Hiding Place in Psalm 27:1-6?
Give the phrases in Psalm 27:1-6 that describe the dangerous situations in which we can have peace. Apply each one to a situation you have experienced previously, one you may encounter in the future, or to the world today.
What insight about His peace do we have from Isaiah 9:6-7, 26:3, 32:17; John 14:27, 16:33; Galatians 1:3; and Philippians 4:6-7?
We Have His Perspective
Psalm 91:7-8
Write out in your own words the perspective of one who is safely inside Our Hiding Place when trouble surrounds us.
What phrase in verse 8 indicates that no one will get by with their evil actions?
How is this confirmed by Psalm 37:8-13, Isaiah 48:22, Matthew 25:44-46, 2 Peter 2:9, Jude 1:7 and Romans 12:17-19?
What unique perspective did the prophet Elisha give to his servant in 2 Kings 6:15-17?
What similar perspective does 1 John 4:4 give?
What trouble, tension, turmoil, tragedy or trial is surrounding you? What is your perspective? After reading these verses, do you need to make an adjustment to it?
Ask God to open your eyes so that you see the big picture from His perspective.
We Have His Power
Psalm 91:9-13
What is the condition for no harm befalling you? See verse 9.
What word in verse 10 implies this includes your home and your family?
Are there exceptions to this? Why? Read John 9:1-3, 11:1-4 and Hebrews 11:32-40.
How do you know you have an angel assigned to you? See verse 11.
What are some of the things that angels do? Refer to 1 Kings 19:1-8; 2 Kings 19:32-36; Psalm 34:7, 103:20; Matthew 4:11, 13:36-43, 49, 24:31; Acts 5:17-20, 12:1-11; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Hebrews 1:14; and Revelation 5:11-12.
What could the lion and the cobra represent? See 1 Peter 5:8, Revelation 12:9 and 20:2.
When do we receive the power of God? See Acts 1:8.
In His power, what can we overcome? Read 1 John 2:12-14 and 5:3-5.
If you are defeated in your Christian life, why?
We Have His Promises
Psalm 91:14-16
List the promises in verses 14-16 phrase by phrase.
What are the three conditions given for receiving them?
What do you need to do now to meet the conditions so that you can claim His promises?
Write out the promise of Psalm 32:7 in your own words.
Make a list of alternative names for Our Hiding Place, such as, “He is our Shelter, our Rock, our Strong Tower.”
Substitute the pronoun my for our. Now, would you thank God for who He is to you?
In order to be safe when I was in Israel, I had to heed the siren and run quickly into the shelter. Because even though the shelter was within the distance of a 15-second sprint, I still had to leave where I was and run into it. I believe the sirens are going off in our world today, warning us of judgment that is coming. It’s time to run into Our Hiding Place (found in Christ) and abide there. So run—now.
Put your trust in Christ today.
Called “the best preacher in the family” by her father, Billy Graham, Anne Graham Lotz speaks around the globe with the wisdom and authority of years spent studying God’s Word. Anne is a best-selling and award-winning author. Her most recent releases are The Daniel Prayer, Wounded by God’s People, Fixing My Eyes on Jesus, Expecting to See Jesus and her first children’s book, Heaven: God’s Promise for Me.
REFLECT & RESPOND
For all ages.
The G Team symbol was inspired by Psalm 91:4.
He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
Print the free printable G Team wings logo coloring sheet – included.
Have an art contest in your house or with your group for who can create the best Psalm 91:4 mini poster.
Anything goes – here are some suggestions:
just color the wings
color the wings and all all the space on the sheet around the wings
add glister and other art materials to the wings
add the Psalm 91:4 verse and/or other verses about being safe with God
cut the wings out and glue them onto a larger piece of paper
Only be limited by imagination.
Pick a winner or two or three and present a prize.
Have fun displaying the beautiful wings around your home.
This activity was provided by the Teacher Love Project - a Why Not Charleston community education initiative. The Teacher Love Project aims to provide love and encouragement to teachers that will elevate their wellness and care and therefore, enhance student achievement. We must care for those who care for our children - we must love each other because God loved us first.
"We love because he first loved us."
1 John 4:19
POWERFUL PRAYER
"Safety“
by Taraea L. Griffith
Lord because of you I lay down and sleep in peace, you make me to dwell in safety. My heart is filled with great joy as I recall to mind your promises to bless me and the places around me. As you send the showers of blessings my fruit is yielding and I and secure for you are God who breaks the yokes and rescues me from those things that oppress, enslave, and/or hinder me. I will no longer be plundered by circumstances, distractions, and/or people nor will I be devoured by doubt and fear because I live in safety. You O Lord are my strong tower I run to it and I am safe. Thank you for your protection. Amen
Taraea L. Griffith lives in Charleston with her husband, children, and grandchildren. She is a poet and writer, and making an offering of her special gifts and talents as a Why Not Charleston 2020 contributor.
THRU THE LENS - FINDING YOURSELF IN GOD'S WORD
A blog by regular men and women about finding themselves in God's world
"He Covers Me"
By Anonymous
So often we choose to get out from under the covering of our Father and fight our worldly battles in the flesh. We believe that we are capable of fighting these battles with the skills we have acquired throughout our lives and that these battles are worthy of our efforts. What we miss is that not only are we completely ill-equipped, we are fighting the wrong fight.
In this Psalm, we are reminded that God has covered us and continues to protect us from the evil one. Around every corner is another snare waiting to distract us or to draw us back into our worldly ways. When we embrace His love and protection, His Helper will help us identify these snares and give us the discernment to avoid them. When we find ourselves in a spiritual battle we must first call His name and invite Him into the battle so that He can guide, direct and protect us from the old ways.
We can find comfort and peace in Him both day and night knowing that He is our shield and protector. Trusting Him and knowing He has gone before me and planned my steps is one of my greatest struggles. My way always seems like the best path to take until it He makes it known that it wasn’t. My way always leads to disappointment.
On this day, I commit to trust in my Protector and rest in the covering of His wings. Will you join me?
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