By Evangelist Sophia Jeffrie
Psalms 91:1-7- Testimony Series:
91 He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.” 3 Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the [a]fowler And from the perilous pestilence. 4 He shall cover you with His feathers, And under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and [b]buckler. 5 You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, Nor of the arrow that flies by day, 6 Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday. 7 A thousand may fall at your side, And ten thousand at your right hand; But it shall not come near you.
Many people think and believe that they know God but until you have that personal experience where you encounter Him and His presence, you only know of Him. But a personal experience with God is what solidifies our knowing Him and will help us to grow in our intimacy with Him. So, these scriptures helped me to learn to know God as a protector. God used this Psalmist to speak to us from his heart to ours so that He (God) could minister to our needs when we needed it the most. This entire Psalm is meant to give you courage, strength and calm your fears amid your troubled situation. Our personal experiences with God which are the test in our lives are the material for our testimonies. So, I would like for us to examine these first seven verse.
1. The Psalmist says, A Need to get into God’s presence! Verse 1 says, “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.”
In God’s presence there is safety because He is our shelter. So, in order to get into His presence, it requires us to draw near to Him. So, when we are feeling anxious and fearful, we need to stop and seek God’s face in prayer. Psalms 27:5 also says, “ 5 For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; In the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock. Jesus is the rock that we can run to and stand on in our times of trouble. This Psalmist knew that when things start to disturb your peace that it’s time to head for shelter and we should learn to do the same.
What or who do you run to for shelter when your inner man or our conscience is being disturbed with anxiety and fear? __________________________ Has it always been the case? _________________________________________________________________________________________
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The two names that are referred to here are the Most High meaning Elyon which means He is the Highest and He is all-powerful. Then you have the Almighty which is El Shaddai which stands for our Sufficiency, and this means that everything we need is in Him! So, when you know that the God that you serve is all-powerful and He is your sufficiency why wouldn’t you feel secure in Him. Then, of course, we also have access to one of the greatest spiritual weapons that can transform any situation, it’s the Name of Jesus that which nothing can withstand, and it is the Name that is above every name. So, we can receive God’s protection through His name when we get into His presence!
What are some things that you do when you are feeling anxious and worried? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Proverbs 18:10 “The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runs in and are saved.
2. The Psalmist acknowledged what God is to him. Verse 2 says, “2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.” Here he makes a declaration of who God is in his life and we need to do the same as well when we are being tested through the trials that come up against us. The Psalmist is saying that God is his security in all things, and nothing can get to him when he is in God’s shelter. This is his testimony of this relationship with God. Psalms 142:5 also echoes this sentiment as well. It says, Verse 5, “I cried out to You, O Lord: I said, “You are my refuge, My portion in the land of the living.” When we connect with God intimately as our Protector, we realize that He is everything we need in our lives.
Can you think of a time when you experience God in this or a similar way? How did it make you feel?
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Psalms 119:114 114 You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in Your word.
3. The Psalmist calls us to believe God despite our circumstances. Verse 3 says, “3 Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the [a]fowler And from the perilous pestilence. This is a part of your faith walk. He said “Surely” that says that he is confident in what God can and will do! God will save us from the dangers that come up against us in this world! As believers, we must have faith to believe that what God has promised He will do it. In the reference tab of my bible it defines a fowler as a hunter of birds that trap and seeks to destroy them. Deadly pestilence is a deadly disease that is in this world. Both are weapons that the devil uses to trap, destroy, and kill God’s people. Psalms 124:7 makes it plain for us and says, “7 We have escaped like a bird from a hunter’s trap. The trap has been broken, and we have escaped.” The enemy of our souls will set traps for us, but Jesus has broken the snare and we have escaped. God has delivered and protected us from our enemy’s disease and all manner of evil. Sadly, some people are in a trap and don’t realize that they are but that’s why we must tell them our testimonies about Jesus and how He set us free.
What are some common traps of the enemy that people are in today but may not realize they need deliverance?
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John 8:36 “36 So if the Son liberates you [makes you free men], then you are really and unquestionably free.”
4. The Psalmist acknowledges God as his cover and shield for protection. Verse 4 says, “ He shall cover you with His feathers, And under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler”. This is a wonderful illustration of how God our Heavenly Father will care for His children as a mother bird protecting her young. A cover is meant to protect you in every situation whether it’s from the heat, rain, or even the cold. He will keep us in His hands and cover us underneath His wings of Grace and Mercy. Psalms 17:8 gives more insight into the degree of God’s protection for His children. It says, 8 Keep and guard me as the pupil of Your eye; hide me in the shadow of Your wings” Just as your eyelids keep a close guard over anything coming near your pupils, so does God watches of us! God will cover us under the Blood of Jesus where nothing can penetrate. God’s Word is true, and His faithfulness shall be a shield and buckler to all who belong to Him.
The Apostle Paul tells us in Ephesians 6:10-17 to put on the Whole Armor of God so that we maybe able to stand against the wiles of the devil! When you have done all, you can do to Stand, continue to Stand on the truth of God’s Word and He will protect you!
Reflecting on your life, when has God demonstrated His faithfulness to cover and protect you?
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Ephesians 6:16 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which, you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;
5. The Psalmist shows how your faith must override your sight and feelings! Verses 5 & 6 says, “ 5 You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, Nor of the arrow that flies by day, 6 Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday” Don’t be moved by your circumstances (what you see or how you feel), only be moved by the Word of God. Here God is showing us that when negative things come our way, don’t fear or be dismayed because God will deliver you. Job 5:19 TLV illustrates just that. “19 From six calamities He will deliver you, even in seven, no harm will touch you.”
Have you ever been through a Job experience where you were in a season of your life where it seemed like everything kept going wrong? How did you handle it?
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Psalms 54:17 17 No weapon formed against you shall prosper, And every tongue which rises against you in judgment You shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, And their righteousness is from Me,” Says the Lord.
6. The Psalmist experiences God’s deliverance in the midst of the battle. Verse 7 says, “7 A thousand may fall at your side, And ten thousand at your right hand; But it shall not come near you.” God will either protect you from the storm or he will deliver you through the storm, but He promises to be with you because deliverance will come! This is the test that will surely bring about your testimony of how God brought you through! Isaiah 43:2 Living Bible says, 2 When you go through deep waters and great trouble, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown! When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up—the flames will not consume you.
Have you been in an experience where God chose to deliver you through a bad situation rather than protect you from it? What effect did it have on you or what did you learn from this experience?
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Daniel 3:25 25 He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.
Growth Challenge to Respond.…
Read Psalms 91 in its entirety and seek God on how He can respond to you your life just as He did the Psalmist!!
Evangelist Sophia Jeffrie is an ordained Reverend and called Evangelist into the Gospel Ministry where she serves the Lord with her whole heart! Evangelist Jeffrie is a retired Chief Petty Officer from the United States Navy, where she led, guided, trained, and ministered to thousands of Sailors throughout her career. God placed in her an assignment where He has positioned and trusted her with guiding His most troubled and vulnerable youth. It was there the Lord revealed His true purpose for her life and birthed in her the vision and purpose for what is now “Wisdom Truths”, a life-changing transformsArts personal growth and development workshop designed to enhance the overall social and spiritual growth of At-Risk Youth. Evangelist Jeffrie has allowed God to use her as He heals and transform lives by ministering the Gospel of Jesus Christ on a larger scale! Her message of love and purpose is relatable to those from all walks of life and will certainly serve as a blessing to you as well. Evangelist Jeffrie received a Master of Arts Degree in Ministry from Luther Rice College & Seminary in 2018. She has two sons, a stepson and two stepdaughters, and has nine grandchildren.
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