One of the amazing revelations, as I continue to grow in my relationship with the Lord, is how many teachable moments there are in my daily life. God uses everything from dogs to diamonds to affirm His truth in my life. As I grow and write, more and more, I am reminded of the experiences I rush through or even bypass when there is an opportunity to see the Character of God revealed in deeper and more profound ways. For me, one of the ways that God has taught me is through my work with patients. I have had both the responsibility and the privilege of teaming up with folks when illness, accident, or the effects of aging have robbed them of comfort and function. One of the first things I address in therapy is safety. In order for folks to feel safe and progress, they need to feel safe. So I try and lay the foundation for trust with lots of assurances that I won’t let them fall, or we will take rest when needed and provide them with an environment and equipment where they feel supported. I realized as I reflected on Psalm 91, there is a similarity between my work experience and how the Psalmist unfolds God’s promises.
At the beginning of the Psalm, the writer takes us to the place of protection. The King James translation refers this to “the secret place of the Most High” and reminds us how safe we are in the shadow of the Almighty. In the next few verses, the promises of God’s deliverance are expounded on. Rescue from arrows, pestilence, and disaster are made reference to, along with a band of angels who are given command by God Himself to lift us up with their hands and lend us strength should we require it. This reminded me of my progress with patients where strength deficits are addressed. For people to become independent and return to the demands of daily life, they need to gain strength. This is where patience and encouragement are needed as folks face the wait and the work it takes to gain the muscle power to stand, walk, care for themselves or even perhaps care for others. The goal is not to stay inactive but return to a full life as much as possible. God’s goal for us is to live an abundant life, and He has given us the tools, the resources we need to do just that. God wants us to face life without fear.
Today’s verses don’t focus on protection or deliverance; now, the promise of God’s empowerment is revealed. In this passage, the Psalmist has been inspired to lead us to recognize not only does God shelter us and divinely deliver, but He also provides supernatural strength for us to meet the challenges we face. We are promised that we will be given the ability to trample lions and step on the cobra. In the original KJV, it says dragons as well. These enemies are identified as the deadliest in the day this was composed. They also symbolize the evil forces we face in this life. Remember, the scriptures make reference to the evil one as “the adversary who prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” (I Peter 5:8) Cobras were and still are the most dangerous of vipers and strike swiftly.
This reminds me, some things will catch me off guard, strike me when I least expect it, but God has already given me the strength in Him to crush this snake under my foot and be victorious. Trampling a lion seems overwhelming and physically impossible, but then I was reminded that David, before he took out Goliath with one stone, gave his battle resume at the frontline, sharing that he had already killed a lion and a bear and the Lord who gave him the strength to do that would be with him today,” (I Samuel 17). God is able to do the impossible. And… because He has invited me in and invested in me, He can aid me in doing the impossible when it is necessary. The privilege I get in being more than a conqueror is to testify, as David did, that the Lord gives us strength.
I don’t wake up every day and think to myself, “Perhaps I will have to face a dragon or battle a lion today.” But because I know God’s word is timeless, I know these verses from Psalm 91 are as true today as in the day they were written. Until I reach the end of this life, whenever and wherever that is, I am going to face many battles, and some enemies are going to be big, scary, strong. But I am not to fear for the Lord Himself has said, I will have the strength I need when it comes. As we move forward in life, God has divinely placed both our Lions and Cobras and even the dragons in the place of submission. They will be trampled and stepped on under our feet. The Most High God has placed me far above the battle so that I am protected from the deathly threat and mortal blow that any creature can inflict.
Maybe you are like me; I find myself weary in the battle these days. Daily, some enemy gets a good lick in, and I find my strength waning. Discouragement all around me threatens to sap my hope and even the air I breathe seems saturated with fear. It seems as though the score is Lions and Cobras 5, Sharon 0. But then I come to God’s word and the refreshment it offers as I meditate on it. I reach for the secret place, the shelter of the Lord. I claim and bask in His protection. I recount all the times He has divinely delivered me. The Holy Spirit indwelling me rises up to remind me of the empowering strength the Father has given me, and I am able to get up, stand and step forward, one step at a time. Even if it is on a lion or a cobra.
Lord, how overtaken I am with your generosity to impart your strength to me. Even in my most unprepared moments of battle against deadly enemies, you have gone before me. Help me to know in the deepest part of my heart and mind that under your wing and in your shadow is a place where you transform me. You take my weak little cowardly self and make me into a mighty warrior in your army, prepared to do battle against the enemies that rise up to defeat me in this life. Even the Lion and the Cobra fear your strength and will be overtaken by it. Thank you for the wins, God. Thank you for all the times your strength working in and through me as brought me through the battles with the wild animals and slithering serpents in this life. Forgive me for all the unspoken testimonies that are part of my journey with you. Help me share that the Lord of Hosts has been with me before and is with me now, today, even in this hour in this crazy world I live in.
Next time the 5 o’clock worker shares, there is a voice that answers when she calls out in the vineyard.
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