During this quarantine, toilet paper memes have spread faster than Coronavirus! That’s because humor could be found when people suddenly decided to run and get 14 cases of toilet paper for fourteen days. (It seems like they may need a doctor for something other than the virus.)
There is something else that hasn’t produced a meme, but certainly has left an empty space on the store shelves where it usually resides: Puzzles! I guess puzzles are what everyone does when stuck inside for endless days. I mail-ordered a couple to fill some empty spaces in my days. Now I’m thinking of starting a puzzle exchange!
When I put together a puzzle, I take a lot of time viewing the nuances of the overall picture. I study the colors, the artistry, the way each section flows with the other. In order to put a puzzle together, you take a whole picture and then break it up, study each piece individually, and figure out how it fits with the rest of the puzzle.
That is how we will look at Psalm 91. While many of us are used to taking a huge chunk of scripture at a time, there is a world of truth in each individual verse! Keep memorizing this Psalm. You will see fresh light, details, and new colors in each piece. Then we can figure out how it fits into the complexities of our individual lives.
Let’s take the second verse of Psalm 91. “And I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge, and my fortress, my God, in Him will I trust.”
Let’s break it down.
The first part of Psalm 91:2 is “I will say.”
I read God’s word. I think about God’s word. I even will pray God’s Word. But do I say it? We are told throughout scripture to declare and sing God’s Word as well. There must be something to this speaking out loud.
The word “say” means “to speak, to declare, to publish.” It also refers to what is being said by a person’s actions along with his words. It is not just about what we say, but also what we live.
Sometimes we’re not living the truth that “He is my refuge and my fortress.” Things scare us. Viruses make us want to hide inside our homes. We suffer loss and look at bills piling up and it can be hard to figure out where our refuge is!
That is why we say “He is my refuge.” We are taking a look at that puzzle piece. We are turning it around in our palm and thinking about its details and nuances as we speak those words. When we say it out loud we are taking a step of faith. We are not believing the news, the emotions, the stack of bills. We are choosing to believe in God’s Word.
As we say it, those words become a reality. “He is my Refuge. And my Fortress. He is my God! I WILL trust Him!” Soon we are believing it!
You might think that speaking God’s truth is simply “mind over matter,” but it is more than that. There is a supernatural aspect.
I saw a story on a Christian news show that depicted a young woman who was abducted. She was pulled off the road and thrust into the trunk of a car. She was understandably terrified. As the car traveled to who-knows-where, she fought her fear by reciting verses she knew. She repeated Bible verses over and over.
“Calm came over me after a while,” she explained. “I was no longer afraid.”
The perpetrator finally stopped and took her deep into a cornfield where he tied her up to a pole with duct tape before departing. The girl still felt a supernatural calm as she began to struggle against her bonds. She was amazed at how quickly the duct tape fell from her body. The girl then ran for help. Upon arriving at a street, she prayed for direction and chose to run to her left. Later, she learned her abductor was returning from the right side with more duct tape at that exact time.
It struck me, how quoting God’s word gave the woman peace of mind to remain calm and enabled her to escape certain harm. There is something supernatural that happens when we say God’s Word out loud.
Scripture has much to say about our words.
Proverbs 18:21 says “Death and life are in the power of the tongue.”
James chapter three refers to the tongue as “Uncontrollable.” It’s like a slippery, wet monster that cannot be caught or tamed. There are times we need to keep that tongue still but it slithers and spouts words that we know it should not be uttering!
Psalm 91:2 provides a solution for taming that unruly tongue! Say Gods Word instead! Declare HIS truth. Say of the Lord “He is my refuge. My God. In Him will I trust.” He is where we run. He is where we hide. He will be the one that shelters us. He is a wall around us right now. We live and move and have our being in Him.
Viruses are not the only thing we cannot see. We don’t know what tomorrow may bring. No one knew we would be stuck indoors, battling an unseen disease. We imagine all the crazy scenarios that threaten our well-being. Financial ruin, death, rejection, accidents. That is when we must stop. Center ourselves. Say out loud “In Him will I trust.” Yes, out loud.
I was just talking to someone a couple days ago who was terrified. Her husband is off work due to the virus and the bills are piling up. She was creating scenes in her mind of her family homeless and destitute on the streets. Today, there was an unexpected breakthrough which solved most of the financial trouble! God had a plan all along to solve her crisis. She spent a day worrying and fretting when the Lord was ahead of her all along to see her through.
God can be trusted.
When you Say it, you will see it!
Write out Psalm 91:2 ___________________________________________________________________
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Write it out using your own words:
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Now say it out loud!
Read Proverbs 18:21 How does the tongue make a difference in our quality of llife? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Can you think of a time what you said made a difference in how you felt, for better or worse? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Describe what you picture when you hear the words “refuge” and “fortress.”How is God a refuge and a fortress to you?
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Can you think of a way God showed Himself to be worthy of trust in the Bible?
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What area(s) do you need to trust Him now? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Take some time to tell God you trust Him and pray Psalm 91:2 aloud. “God, you are my refuge, and my fortress. You are my God. I trust in You.”
Begin memorizing Psalm 91 verse 2 today. Say verses 91:1-2 together without peeking!
