Psalm 91

When passing through times of trouble, believers often say, “I don’t know what I would do without the Lord.”

• He is a refuge
  • a pledge of shelter
  • a place of safety
    • six cities where an individual who committed unintentional homicide or accidental manslaughter could go for asylum until arrangements for an impartial trial or permanent declaration of innocence
      • cities were arranged so that one was accessible within one day’s journey no more than 30 miles
      • Deuteronomy 19
      • Numbers 35
      • Joshua 20
• He is our fortress
  • He serves as our defense
    • against accusation (Romans 8:33-34)
    • against attack

The Tale of Two Sailors

During a severe storm, two sailors were assigned to keep watch on a ship’s deck.

• The First Sailor was stationed on the open deck. He stood in the biting wind and freezing rain, completely exposed to the elements. Because he knew he was in a dangerous position, he kept a tight, white-knuckled grip on a sturdy iron railing and braced himself against every wave.
• The Second Sailor found a sheltered spot near the superstructure. He was protected from the wind and spray and felt relatively warm and safe. Confident in his secure hiding place, he stood freely without holding onto anything.

Without warning, a massive rogue wave washed over the ship.

The first sailor, though battered and drenched by the wall of water, held tightly to his railing and survived. The second sailor, caught completely off guard in his “sheltered” spot, had nothing to hold onto. The force of the water swept him off his feet and straight overboard into the sea.

This illustration shows how people are affected by life’s truth! Some are self-sufficient, but when trials come, they are swept off their feet because they refuse divine help. Others are made stronger because of the trial.