“Because you have made the Lord—my refuge, the Most High—your dwelling place, no harm will come to you; no plague will come near your tent. For He will give His angels orders concerning you, to protect you in all your ways.” – Psalm 91:9-11
Psalm 91 is a favorite for many. Its’ celebration of the Lord’s protection and provision have steadied believers for centuries. But it is a favorite of someone whom you might not expect – the devil. It is this psalm that the devil used to tempt Jesus (see Matthew 4:5-6). The devil hurled this psalm at Jesus while Jesus is exhausted and under attack. Surely Jesus’ experience proves that God is not the protector and provider that Psalm 91 claims Him to be?
This “flaming arrow” (see Ephesians 6:16) is not just hurled at Jesus. It comes at us too. The devil seeks to stir up doubt and inflame bitterness in our souls toward God. He seeks to tempt us, like he did Jesus, to demand from God proof of His love, protection, and provision.
Jesus extinguished that flaming arrow, and we can too. He swung back by quoting Deuteronomy 6:16, “do not test the Lord your God.” Jesus leaned on God’s Word spoken to His people who were living in the wilderness, in between God’s miraculous protection and provision in Egypt and His miraculous protection and provision in the Promised Land. In between, the people needed the reminder not to test God by demanding proof of His love and goodness.
So do we.
Think These Things 