Though a Thousand May Fall - Psalm 91

A thousand may fall at your side and ten thousand at your right hand; but it shall not approach you. –Psalm 91:7

DO WE EVER STOP to consider what this is saying to us? Do we have the courage to trust God’s Word enough to believe that He means this literally? And, is it possible for it to be true, and yet still miss out on these promises? Jesus answers the last question in Luke 4:27, “There were many lepers in Israel in the time of Elijah, but none of them was cleansed.” Only Naaman, the Syrian, was healed when he obeyed in faith. Not everyone will receive the benefits of this promise in Psalm 91. Only those who believe God and hold fast to His promises will profit; none-the-less, it is available. And to the measure we trust Him, we will in the same measure reap the benefits of that trust.

What an awesome statement! God wants us to know that even though there will be a thousand falling by our side and ten thousand at our right hand, it does not negate the promise that destruction will not approach the one who chooses to believe and trust His Word. The Amplified Bible says, “...it shall not approach you for any purpose”. He means exactly what He says.

It is no accident that this little statement is tucked right here in the middle of the psalm. Have you noticed how easy it is to become fearful when disaster starts striking all around you? We begin to feel like Peter must have felt as he walked on the water to Jesus. It is easy to see how he started sinking with the waves when he saw all the turbulence of the storm going on around him.

God knew there would be times when we would hear so many negative reports, see so many needs and encounter so much danger around us that we would feel overwhelmed. That is why He warned us ahead of time that thousands would be falling all around us. He didn’t want us to be caught off guard. But, at that point, we have a choice to make. The ball is then in our court! We can either choose to run to His shelter in faith and it will not approach us or we can passively live our lives the way the world does, not realizing there is something we can do about it. 

What tremendous insight, after our minds have been renewed by the Word of God, to realize, contrary to the world’s thinking, that we do not have to be among the ten thousand who fall at our right hand. Psalm 91 is the preventive measure that God has given to His children against every evil known to mankind. No place else in the Word are all of the protection promises (including help from angels, as well as promises insuring our authority) accumulated in one covenant to offer such a total package for living in this world. It is both an offensive and defensive measure to ward off every evil before it has had time to strike. This is not only a cure, but a plan for complete prevention!

-Peggy Joyce Ruth

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