|
No evil will befall you, nor will any plague or calamity come near your dwelling. --Psalm 91:10 Are You Worried About Your Family? After God repeats our part of the condition in verse nine, He then re-emphasizes the promise in verse ten: “ ...nor will it come near your dwelling place (your household).” It is at this point in the psalm that the Bible makes this covenant more comprehensive than just being about ourselves! God has just added a new dimension to the promise: the opportunity to exercise faith, not only for ourselves, but also for the protection of our entire household. If these promises were only available to us as individuals, it would not be very comforting. Because God has created within us both an instinct to be protected and a need to protect those who belong to us, He has assured us here that these promises are for you and your household. It appears that the Old Testament leaders had a better understanding of this concept than we who are under the New Covenant. That is why Joshua chose for himself and for his household. If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the Lord, then choose for yourselves today whom you will serve; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. --Joshua 24:15 As Joshua made the decision that his household would serve God with him, he was influencing their destiny and declaring their protection at the same time. In much the same way, Rahab bargained with the Israeli spies for her whole family ( Joshua 2:13). When our hearts are truly steadfast and when we are trusting in His faithfulness to fulfill His promises, we’ll not be constantly afraid that something bad is going to happen to one of our family members. You will not be afraid of evil tidings because your heart is steadfast—trusting in His Word. --Psalm 112:7 Don't Have Negative Expectations! Negative expectations will begin to pass away, and we will start expecting good reports. According to this verse, we can grab our ears and proclaim, “These ears were made to hear good tidings.” The fear of bad tidings can plague our very existence. That fear of the phone ringing in the night, of that knock on the door, or of the siren of an ambulance... this is the verse that gives the promise that a steadfast heart will not live in constant fear of tragic news. Someone once said, “Fear knocked, faith answered, and no one was there.” When fear knocks, let your mouth say this verse out loud, “I will not fear evil tidings, my heart is steady, trusting in you!” Trust No Matter What It Looks Like Several years ago as I was cooking breakfast, Jack walked into the kitchen with one of the glands under his chin so swollen that it looked as though he had attempted to swallow a large softball that had lodged on one side of his throat. I rushed him to this close physician friend of ours, and I thought I could tell by the expression on the doctor’s face that he was concerned. But, when the first words out of his mouth were, “I am going to call in another doctor to have a look at you,” my worst fear was confirmed, and, I then knew he was suspecting that there was something seriously wrong. At that point, the enemy tried to unload a whole carload of fear thoughts and fear pictures in my mind, but when God’s Word has been stored in the heart, it has a way of surfacing just when it’s needed. This Scripture in Psalm 91:10: “No evil will befall you, nor will any plague or calamity come near your dwelling” was more than just a comforting thought. It brought life and hope to the situation. I sat there in the waiting room, thanking God for this promise and rejoicing over the outcome long before the doctor ever poked his smiling face around the corner to tell me that everything was fine. It turned out to be just a sore throat that had settled in the gland on one side of Jack’s throat. Even the swelling had gone down by the next morning. It is so rewarding to have Psalm 91 promises that include more than just our own life. It is a family that is under that umbrella of protection, based on the extension of this promise in verse ten that moves us from just the individual to the household. -Peggy Joyce Ruth Get the Book!
0 Comments
|