It would be wonderful to be completely sheltered from pain and sin. Although some popular Christian ministries purport the teaching that troubles cannot touch the faithful child of God, that is not what our Lord said. Jesus made it clear that troubles are a part of life. He said, “Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Today has enough trouble of its own.” In John 16:33 Jesus tells us: “In this world you will have trouble.” Trouble may be an unwelcome guest, but he is a companion regardless of what we prefer. As we continue on in our study of Psalm 91 we discover the comforting truth that God is in control of the trouble that comes our way.
First, we see that every trouble that the child of God faces is there only with God's permission. Moses proclaimed that thousands may fall around you, but that does not mean that you will be touched. In one sense trouble is common to all, yet in another sense trouble is specific because God is a God of details. We are told that even the very hairs on our heads are numbered, (Matthew 10:30). You are not an insignificant speck. Do you remember the Dr. Seuss Story, Horton Hears A Who? The book tells the story of Horton the Elephant who one day, on the fifteenth of May in the Jungle of Nool to be precise, hears a small speck of dust talking to him. It turns out the speck of dust is actually a tiny planet, home to a city called "Who-ville", inhabited by microscopic-sized inhabitants known as Whos. The Whos ask Horton (who, though he cannot see them, is able to hear them quite well due to his extraordinary hearing) to protect them from harm, to which Horton happily obliges, proclaiming throughout the book that "a person's a person, no matter how small". In doing so he is ridiculed and nearly murdered by the other animals, such as the Wickersham Brothers and the Sour Kangaroo, in the jungle for believing in something that they are unable to see or hear. Horton tells the Whos that they needed to make themselves heard to the other animals, lest they end up as part of "beezlenut stew", which they finally accomplish. Although you may feel insignificant you need to understand that as a child of God each of us is securely being held in the hand of the Heavenly Father (John 10:27-29).
The Protection God provides is encompassing. The Psalm describes a broad scope of protection. Verse 10 gives us a summary by stating that no harm or disaster will consume you. Moses then goes on to sing about specific troubles. Verse 12 teaches that we will suffer no fall. We have all stumbled. Some falls have produced mild discomfort, others have affected us long time. God wants us to know that no fall occurs apart from Him.
Moses sings about divine protection against two lethal beasts. This shows the power God has even over the most feared predators of the wild. There are several similarities about the attacks of these animals that are worth mentioning here. First, both are seldom noticed until they attack. The lion stalks its prey, and the cobra slithers quietly often unnoticed. The two are different in size, strength and form of attack, but both can kill. Their attacks take only a moment, but the effects radically change the life of a person. The person who is fortunate enough to survive the pounce of a lion or the strike of a cobra is never the same. David Livingstone spent the later years of his ministry in Africa working with a mangled arm due to the attack of a lion. God spared Livingstone's life, but his useless arm served as a constant reminder of the fierce quick attack.
The promise of God's protection is dependent on the child of God staying within God's safe pasture. The Lord's commands and regulations are not cruel restrictions but safe fencing to keep us from the dangers that surround us. PS 91:9 If you make the Most High your dwelling-- even the LORD, who is my refuge-- The wolves are salivating as they watch the sheep look for ways to escape the pasture that God has provided. We need to be careful that we don't blame God for troubles that we have experienced from leaving the pasture.
The ancient song mentions several specific ways God protects His children. He orders His angels to protect us. Troubles can only get so close when we don't invite them in. This is because God provides bodyguards for His children. I have a feeling that I especially kept mine busy during my teenage years. I remember one night coming home late from a friend's house. A car came around a curve at blazing speed in my lane. I didn't have time to react. At the last moment the car swerved over in the other lane. I have often thought that the speeding vehicle was nudged over by an angel.
God promises to personally walk with His child through the danger. Eight times in the last three verses of the Psalm God says, “I will.” Listen to these great personal promises. I will rescue him. I will protect him. I will answer him. I will be with him in trouble. I will deliver him. I will honor him. I will satisfy him. I will show him my salvation. Now that is personal attention!
Think about it. Although we belong to a large family (God promised Abraham that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore) each one entered through a personal encounter with the Risen Lord. God has many children, but He loves each child wholeheartedly.