Psalm 91:1-2, 14-15b, 15c-16
Chapter 91
1
Trust in God
You, who dwell in the shelter of the Most High,who rest in the shadow of the Almighty,2
say to the Lord, “My stronghold, my refuge, my God in whom I trust!”
14
“Because they cling to me, I will rescue them,” says the Lord. “I will protect those who know my name.
15
When they call to me, I will answer; in time of trouble, I will be with them; I will deliver and honor them.
16
I will satisfy them with long life; and show them my salvation.”
Commentaries
91
The devil can quote Scripture (Mt 4:6). He was clever enough to recognize quality and to try to exploit its flaws. However, this is inaccurate because the assumption is not a fault related to trust in God. The child who lets go of his mother’s hand and tries to walk on his own does not distrust her but instead trusts himself. In any case, we must not let the devil ruin this psalm for us. For many, it is the most comforting psalm in the Psalter, and it’s no wonder. It assures us, in several oddly matched expressions of emotion, of a God waiting—and longing—to be asked!
This is a powerful psalm prayed daily for protection against the powers of the Evil One. It is so powerful that even the devil tried to use it (see vv. 11 and 12) in his sneaky way to tempt Jesus in the desert (Mt 4:6). Of course, he was not successful, and therefore, we can be confident that he won’t succeed in tempting us either. It will be beneficial to pray with this psalm, reaffirming and strengthening our trust in God, especially when danger surrounds us.