“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.

I will say to the Lord, ‘My refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust.’

For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler

And from the deadly pestilence.”

Psalm 91:1-3

This month I have accomplished my goal – an entire year of weekly blog posts! Whew! It feels like a good time for a break!  

But as I was considering this, I saw a FB post from someone who lost her daughter in a car accident. After a lifetime of faith in God, she is now questioning His existence. Though after losing Lexi I never wavered in my faith in God’s existence, I vividly remember questioning God’s plan and not feeling hope for any good coming from the rest of my life. Though our doubts may look different, they are there and they are real. The enemy knows exactly where we are weak and how to attack us, and he will take every advantage of tearing us down when we are most vulnerable. When something tragic happens or we are struggling through something heavy, he is ready to pounce. 

Psalm 91 describes the attack of the devil as “the snare of the fowler” and “deadly pestilence.”

The psalmist would have likely been familiar with bird-hunting and the way people would have baited a net or a box with seed or other food in order to trap them. What a perfect analogy of how Satan deceives us, He puts lies in front of us, tricking us into questioning things we know to be true. Soon we start believing them, which leads us to become trapped in misery and depression. And that’s right where he wants us – stuck in a dark place feeling lost and alone, unable to see any hope or do any good for ourselves or anyone around us. 

A “deadly pestilence,” or infectious disease, is another striking analog of how the devil works. First a little doubt creeps in. When we let ourselves continue to dwell on it, it gradually grows, eating away at our hope, until it has taken over our entire mindset, leading us to a state of complete devastation and hopelessness. Once again, right where the enemy wants us. 

But this psalm reminds us that God is here to offer protection from the attack of the enemy. When we place ourselves under the shelter of His care, intentionally putting our trust in Him, our hearts will be safe from the deception of the devil. He will be unable to bring us down.

How do we keep ourselves under the shelter of his care? By abiding in His Word! By filling our hearts and minds with the truth! By communicating with Him through prayer! God has promised to always be with us and that He will give us hope. We must stay close to Him to hear and know these truths. The enemy will attack – but God will protect! 

This message has resounded clearly to me as I continue to fight off snares and pestilence in my life. It’s a never-ending battle. So I will continue to write and share of God’s faithfulness and His love. For others, but mostly for myself!

“The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; he knows those who take refuge in Him.”

Nahum 1:7