Psalm 91 Part 4 of 7: Fear Not

Psalms 91:5-8 NKJV

"You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, Nor of the arrow that flies by day,
Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.
A thousand may fall at your side, And ten thousand at your right hand; But it shall not come near you.
Only with your eyes shall you look, And see the reward of the wicked."

This portion of Psalm 91 is probably the best known and most quoted of all the Psalms.  What comfort and assurance it has offered believers down through history.  No matter where we are, no matter what is happening, Jesus is there, blessing, protecting, preserving, delivering. 

How blessed we are that we can walk through life without fear, even though we live in an increasingly dangerous world.  

What kind of threats are there and how good is our protection?   Only THE BEST!  

Here's a list.

#1.  "You shall not he afraid of the TERROR by night."  

Terror is not a new thing in the world but in these last days it has escalated to a fever pitch.  There are militant followers of Mohammed on the rampage, beheading innocent victims; terror attacks by so-called "lone wolves;" Iran threatening to build nuclear weapons (yeah, like they haven't already). Conflicts and riots between ethnic groups, policemen ambushed by cowardly criminals. 

Our God protects His covenant people from all of it. "COVENANT" is the operative word here.  Believe it or not, God is not in control of this world.  Not everyone is under His protection, which can also include Christians.  

Rather than elaborating further on this topic, please see part 2 of this series for more information by following this link:  http://emmausrevelations.blogspot.com/2015/05/psalm-91-part-2-i-will-say-of-lord.html

God says we do need not be afraid of ANY terror attacks!

#2.  "Nor the arrow that flies by day."

No, God is not really referring to a stick with feathers on one end and and an arrowhead on the other here.  Think of "MISSILES," not arrows.  Many countries today have ICBMs that can even reach America.  Though they are an all too real threat God says to "FEAR NOT."

#3.  "Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness."  

Ever hear stories of people who eat right, exercise regularly, who appear strong and healthy, then they drop dead of a sudden heart attack!?  Or maybe, someone who went to their doctor thinking everything is okay only to learn he has 6 months to live.  They were both harboring a silent killer in their bodies, a "pestilence that walks in darkness."  It was a disease process that went undetected.   

God says we have no need to fear that either!

#4.  "The destruction that lays waste at noonday."

This is complete blanket protection.  It covers every kind of danger, every kind of attack or accident, be it physical, emotional or spiritual.  God tells us, "Do not be afraid."

#5.  "A thousand may fall at your side and ten thousand at your right hand but it will not come near you."  

Just like Rahab, who trusted in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob to save her, we can trust in our God to do the same for us.  

When the walls of Jericho fell, HER HOUSE WAS THE ONLY ONE LEFT STANDING.

There have been told miraculous stories of deliverance because of believers have trusted in the protection of God found in Psalm 91. 

Below are two utterly amazing stories of our God's deliverance and preservation. 

Have you heard of the MIRACLE OF DUNKIRK?  Probably. But I'll bet you never heard this part of the story.

The German Army was advancing on British and French troops trapped on the beaches around Dunkirk. The 330,000 men were like sitting ducks.

The beach there has a very shallow slope so no large boats with a deep draft could get near enough to the actual beaches where the men were.  Lots of smaller boats were needed to take them on board.  They could then be transferred to larger ships waiting further off shore. 

800 of these now legendary "little ships" were used. It is believed that the smallest of these boats to make the journey across the English Channel was the Tamzine, an 18-foot long, open topped fishing boat!  Incredible!

That's the story everyone knows.  What most do not know is that many of these men were Christians.  They called on God their to rescue them by reciting Psalm 91 over and over.  But they didn't merely recite it.....THEY SHOUTED IT AT THE TOP OF THEIR LUNGS!!!  

Well, our awesome HEARD AND ANSWERED! 

All 330,000 men were safely evacuated.  Not ONE was lost.  

Seemingly out of nowhere, those small boats--fishing boats, pleasure boats, crafts of all sizes and descriptions--appeared and all were brought to safety!!!

Oh yeah.....OUR GOD DELIVERS!

Another very curious story of protection happened in the second World War during the bombing of London.  

There was an elderly lady who also trusted in her God.  She, too, believed in this Psalm of protection.  She told God, "Since You watch over me day AND night, there is no sense in both of us staying awake.  So I'll sleep; You watch."  

She stayed in her own house, went to sleep that night.  There was a bombing raid by the German Luftwafe .  

In the morning, every other house in her neighborhood was destroyed.  Like Rahab's house on the wall of Jericho, hers was THE ONLY ONE LEFT STANDING!

Her neighbors, fearing the worst, came to see how she was the morning after only to find her safe and well-rested.  

THAT’S MY GOD!  HALLELUJAH!

Destruction does not come near those in covenant with our Daddy, who put their trust in Him.  A thousand may fall at your side and ten thousand at your right hand BUT IT WILL NOT COME NEAR YOU.  

Only with your EYES shall you look and see the reward of the wicked!!  

THAT'S WHY WE FEAR NOT.