Why We Don’t Need to Worry. Ps.91:9-13
Why We Don’t Have to Worry
Text. Psalm 91:9-13
God doesn’t just protect us, but he wants US to fully TRUST Him, and not to WORRY about worldly circumstances. Matthew 6:25-34. The psalmist begins this section of the psalm with the word ‘BECAUSE’ There are very good reasons why we should not worry!
Trust in the Lord, Remember that his angels have charge over you, and that Satan is defeated – AND ACT RESPONSIBLY!
Here are some…
1 Because We Are Trusting in God.
So how do we have confidence that God will protect us in times of danger? No evil shall befall you, Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling; The requirement for the promise – is to be dwelling with Lord. 9 BECAUSE you have made the Lord, who is my refuge, Even the Most High, your dwelling place, God’s protection is for all his people, BUT SOMETIMES WE SIMPLY DON’T ACCPT THE FACT! We are reluctant to take God at his word. Why is this? The psalmist restates the protective care of God for his people, and reminds us that there is a simple condition to it – we rest in the Lord! We DWELL in him! We make the Lord our refuge – our dwelling place. Isaiah. 26:3. Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.
2 Because God has Commissioned His Angels to Look After Us. V11-12. God’s angels watch over us!
- What are angels? Hebrews 1:13 Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?
- What are they doing? I mean in relation to our protection, for they are of course engaged in praise, around the throne of God. But the psalmist records that they minister to us by:-
- They have CHARGE over us! They are assigned to us, to minister to us, not just to watch over the church as a whole, but to watch over every individual believer.
- They KEEP US! Proverbs 3:6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Here again is a reference to what our ‘ways’ should be like, the angels keep us in the path of obedience to God, doing his will, acknowledging him. Matthew Henry, ...But observe the extent of the promise; it is to keep thee in all thy ways: even where there is no apparent danger yet we need it, and where there is the most imminent danger we shall have it.
- They BEAR US UP! See the tenderness of their care for us here, for they bear us up in their hands. How many times would we have stumbled and fallen had there not been an angel specifically sent by God to catch us and hold us up! And see how meticulous their care, not just in the major difficulties of life, but even at those time when we would harm ourselves by stubbing our toe against a stone.
What is this promise about? God’s care for us is conveyed to us by ministering spirits, specifically tasked to keep a spiritual watch over us, and to protect us against the harm of the devil, so that we would be safe on our earthly journey. The purpose of that protection is to keep us walking in the ways of the Lord.
3 Because we are Playing Our Part and Acting Responsibly.
There is an underlying warning, not self evident at first reading, of the danger that we might become over-confident, and abuse the promises of God.
- The promise of protection doesn’t condone careless or reckless behaviour. What a precious promise that God sends his angels to guard the footsteps of his people. So, then can I drive at 120 MPH, knowing that God’s angels are protecting me? If I have an accident while I’m driving at that speed, can’t I rely on the promises of God? Well, NO! And we have Biblical precedent for saying that.
- The relationship between God’s protection and our Christian walk! This is the very text that Satan used to tempt Jesus in the wilderness. It’s the only Bible text that he ever quoted, and he didn’t even do that right, for he misused it, he left out a very important phrase. Let’s read it and see if you can figure out what Satan left out…. Matthew 4:5 Do you see what he left out? ’To keep you in all your ways’. Now what did we learn about how and when angels ‘keep us’ – when in all our ways we are acknowledging the Lord! Th devil wanted Jesus to make a public display of his authority and his communion with God by jumping from a great height, a display which would have gained him celebrity and fame and the applause of men. Could he have done that? Yes! Would the angels have protected him? Yes! – but that was not God’s will, and Jesus would only do what was the will of God His Father. John 5:30 In Gethsemane he prayed, in the face of the cruelest death of all, ’Not my will but thine be done…’. So to the Devil, Jesus firmly rebukes him, Matthew 4:7 (Deuteronomy 6:16)
Angels watch over us, as we seek to live in accordance with his will, and they channel God’s protection to us. But that is never an excuse for acting irrationally, or foolishly, or to tempt the Lord God in an effort to impress other men and women.
4 Because Our Enemy, the Devil is Already Defeated. V13
The psalmist writes, ‘you shall tread upon the lion and the cobra, the young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot. Now, bearing in mind what we have just learned about our responsibility to act with common sense and not put God to the test, it’s probably not a good idea to go up to the zoo, and climb into the lion enclosure while muttering the words of Psalm 91:13. So, what is this verse about then? Two simple explanations of the psalmist’s poetic language here…
- He is referring to the manifestation of the evil activities of Satan, our enemy. There are two descriptions of the devil in the NT. he is referred to in 1st Peter as a roaring lion, going about seeking whom he may devour. From Genesis to Revelation, he is known as the Serpent, – who deceives the whole world. It is he who seeks to destroy us, to tear us down and drag us into a lost eternity in the lake of fire, which has been prepared for him and for his minions. We are promised here that he cannot harm us!
- He is ultimately reminding us of the work of Christ. It was at Calvary that the devil was defeated by Christ. Genesis 3:15. The son of the woman would bruise the head of Satan!
So don’t try to tempt God by taking unnecessary risks. Instead just remember that all evil comes from the devil, who is a defeated foe, and who one day will be cast away for ever.
So what have we learned? Firstly, that all saints are under God’s protection, but to be assured of his protection we must learn to rest in Christ’s finished work for us in the cross, to completely trust him. Secondly, that God assigns his angels charge over us, to guard us and protect us, and keep us walking in his ways. Thirdly, that we must never use our assurance of God’s protection to act rashly or foolishly. Fourthly, that God’s Son, Jesus has already defeated our greatest foe at the cross, – so be assured, in Christ we are more than conquerors!
The Salty Scrivener 