“Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.” Psalm 91:3 KJV First, let’s focus on a few key words. DELIVERS / natsal / to snatch away, rescue, save Webster’s 1828: “To free, release, as from restraint, to set at liberty.” SNARE / pach / a bird trap Webster’s 1828: “An instrument for catching animals, particularly fowls, by the leg. It consists of a cord or string with slip knots in which the leg is entangled.” FOWLER / yaqush / to ensnare, lay a trap, to catch DEADLY / havvah / mischief, calamity,…
“He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.” Psalm 91:1-2 KJV This week, we will study Psalm 91 and spend time unearthing all the beauty and wonder in its 16 verses. Psalm 91 has been a great source of strength in my life. In moments of uncertainty and confusion, I have often returned to those familiar scriptures. I am so excited to learn alongside all of you! I have spent time studying and researching for this week. Much of the information comes from Bible Hub, Blue Letter Bible, and Webster’s Dictionary 1828. To begin, let’s dig into the original translations of a few words that stand out to me. DWELL / yashab / to sit, remain, inhabit The concept of dwelling was an important piece of ancient Hebrew culture. Dwelling was often related to a person’s identity and their security. To dwell in a land was to have a place of belonging and security. According to Webster’s 1828, dwell “imports a residence of some continuance. We use abide for the…
“Because a loveless world,” said Jesus, “is a sightless world.” John 14:23 MSG Scripture reminds us repeatedly how important it is to have a vision. Proverbs 29:18 tells us that where there is no vision, the people perish. That sounds pretty serious to me. We must be able to see the world, specifically people, through the eyes of God. Hate runs rampant in our world, and many choices, reactions, and opinions are fueled by hatred. We struggle to see beyond ourselves because we live in a self-centered world. “Love everyone” is painted on banners, but cancel culture slams the door on others, ruining lives. We must have vision. We must be able to see beyond what is right in front of us, and to do that, we must have love. Love for God and love for our brothers and sisters. If we don’t have love, what do we truly possess? 1 Corinthians 13:2 tells us that we could do many incredible things, but if we didn’t love others, we would have nothing. “And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love,…
“For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. Psalm 103:11-12 Forgiven – to no longer hold sin against the person who has sinned against you. The beautiful story that Luke recorded in chapter seven of his Gospel illustrates the forgiveness that the Lord bestows on those who come to Him. The woman who dared to enter the room where Jesus and other men were eating, carried in her hands the most valuable…
“Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.” John 15:16 Chosen – one who is the object of choice; who is given preference. In the days before cell phones, tablets, and video games, children enjoyed playing outside. At recess in the schoolyard or at neighbourhood parks, groups would gather to play games. Baseball was a popular one. Two people would take turns picking the ones they wanted on their team. They would choose the best players first and then the rest just waited, hoping they would be next. How terrible it felt to be the last one chosen, or not have your name called. We serve a God who is fair and just and is no respecter of persons. Jesus paid the price on Calvary that all who would believe in Him would receive salvation. In His foreknowledge, He knew each of us and how we would respond to the gospel. Look at the Scriptures that tell us He loved us and knew us before…
“Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy right hand hath holden me up, and thy gentleness hath made me great.” Psalm 18:35 Oxford Dictionary gives two descriptions for the word “strong.” 1. having the power to move heavy weights or perform other physically demanding tasks. 2. able to withstand great force or pressure. This description would suggest that for a person to be strong, they must dominate and outperform. However, we who love the Lord, understand the secret to true strength – to be strong, you must be willing to become weak. To be spiritually strong means to be empowered or to embrace empowerment from God. Paul experienced some kind of disability that kept him from being all that he wanted to be for the Lord. We do not know what it was, but after asking the Lord to remove it three times, he submitted it to the Lord. He did not deny his feelings, but he did not let them control him. II Corinthians 12:9-10 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities,…