"He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.”
3 For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler
and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with his pinions,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.
5 You will not fear the terror of the night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,
6 nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness,
nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.
7 A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.
8 You will only look with your eyes
and see the recompense of the wicked.
9 Because you have made the Lord your dwelling place—
the Most High, who is my refuge—
10 no evil shall be allowed to befall you,
no plague come near your tent.
11 For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways.
12 On their hands they will bear you up,
lest you strike your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread on the lion and the adder;
the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot.
14 “Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him;
I will protect him, because he knows my name.
15 When he calls to me, I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble;
I will rescue him and honour him.
16 With long life I will satisfy him
and show him my salvation.”
Psalm 91
This Psalm conveys an atmosphere of sunny trust in the merciful care and protection of God. We do not mean by that that the sun is necessarily shining on the Psalmist, but rather that, whatever may come upon him of pressure and danger, he has found a place of quiet rest and peace, where he can rejoice in the Lord. This is the true realism: for it is certain that no one can expect the sun always to be shining upon life. Dark patches do come; and this Psalm is the answer to them.
The first thing to note is the difference in the personal pronouns used throughout it. First of all, in 1, a statement is made in the third person about God and the man who trusts in Him: 'He that dwelleth...'. Then, in 2, it is the first person singular: 'I will say of the Lord...'. Then, in 3-8, it is the third person again, speaking once more, as in 1, of God: 'surely He shall...He shall...'. (The 'thou' and the 'thy' in 5, 7 are addressed on the basis of what is said in these verses about God). Then, 9a is rendered by Maclaren and others as 'Thou Lord art my refuge' - that is, a repeat of the confession in 2. And 9b should read 'You (O man) have made the Most High your dwelling'. Following this in 10-13 we have once again the third person, expressing what God will be and do for those who trust Him. Finally, in 14-16 it is the first person, and obviously it is God Himself Who is speaking.
All this can be taken in two ways: either the Psalmist is speaking to himself, reminding himself of the truths of revelation, and evoking from his heart a personal expression of faith, or he is listening to someone preaching, expounding the bountiful provision there is in the Lord for all our needs, and that preaching calls from him a spontaneous response of faith (2, 9a). Then God Himself speaks, confirming His word to the Psalmist.
It is one thing for us to say to ourselves, or to hear a preacher say, that God is a refuge for the oppressed; it is another thing for us to respond in faith and claim this provision; it is still another thing when God Himself confirms His word to us, saying 'What you have heard is all true, I will indeed be this to you'. This is the message of the Psalm.