Psalm 91 – Breakfast of Champions

The 91st Psalm is sometimes referred to as a prayer of protection. Some use it when they find themselves in trouble of some sort to help keep them from disaster. For example, a solder might recite it when he is under attack and it may well save his life. When used in an emergency situation it is more like a medicine than a food. We take medicine when we see symptoms of sickness or disease to fight off the condition. However, if we look at it as food for the spirit we don’t wait for a situation to arise. Instead we make it a part of our spiritual diet. Just like we eat nutritious food to keep the body strong and healthy, we need to take spiritual food to keep our spirit strong and healthy, thereby avoiding adverse situations before they become visible to us.

Before we get into the dissecting and digesting of this Psalm, let’s just read through it first. Let’s use the Amplified version because it gives us more detail than other versions.

Psalm 91 - Amplified Version

1 HE WHO dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall remain stable and fixed under the shadow of the Almighty [Whose power no foe can withstand].
2 I will say of the Lord, He is my Refuge and my Fortress, my God; on Him I lean and rely, and in Him I [confidently] trust!

3 For [then] He will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence.

4 [Then] He will cover you with His pinions, and under His wings shall you trust andfind refuge; His truth andHis faithfulness are a shield and a buckler.

5 You shall not be afraid of the terror of the night, nor of the arrow (the evil plots and slanders of the wicked) that flies by day,

6 Nor of the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor of the destruction andsudden death that surprise andlay waste at noonday.

7 A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand, but it shall not come near you.

8 Only a spectator shall you be [yourself inaccessible in the secret place of the Most High] as you witness the reward of the wicked.

9 Because you have made the Lord your refuge, and the Most High your dwelling place, [Ps. 91:1, 14.]

10 There shall no evil befall you, nor any plague orcalamity come near your tent.

11 For He will give His angels [especial] charge over you to accompany anddefend andpreserve you in all your ways [of obedience and service].

12 They shall bear you up on their hands, lest you dash your foot against a stone. [Luke 4:10, 11; Heb. 1:14.]

13 You shall tread upon the lion and adder; the young lion and the serpent shall you trample underfoot. [Luke 10:19.]

14 Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore will I deliver him; I will set him on high, because he knows andunderstands My name [has a personal knowledge of My mercy, love, and kindness–trusts and relies on Me, knowing I will never forsake him, no, never].

15 He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.

16 With long life will I satisfy him and show him My salvation.

1 HE WHO dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall remain stable and fixed under the shadow of the Almighty [Whose power no foe can withstand].

The first verse starts out with “He Who dwells in the secret place….” This is the narrator putting forth what we must do to benefit from this Psalm. To get the most out of this first verse we can say “I dwell in the secret place….” This just makes it more personal. To compare it to eating food to nourish the body it would be like saying I eat oranges instead of saying anyone that eats oranges. When you eat an orange your body benefits from the vitamins and minerals in the orange. In the same way when you dwell in the secret place of the most high you come under the protection of the Almighty God. Being under his shadow is like being under an umbrella in a rainstorm. The rain can be coming down all around you, but you stay dry. When you are under the shadow of the Almighty bad things can be happening all around you, but they can’t get to you.

So where is this secret place and how do you dwell there? It isn’t a physical place; it is a part of your consciousness. When you keep thoughts of God on your mind, you are dwelling in the secret place of the most high. In the beginning you must consciously keep such thoughts in your awareness, but in time you will build up enough awareness of God that it will bleed into an un-consciousness that you are not necessarily aware of. It’s like learning to drive a stick shift car. At first you have to consciously let up on the gas, press down on the clutch and shift to the next gear. Once you have learned how to shift and have done it enough times it becomes automatic. You don’t have to think about each step it any more. You just do it. When you become adept at keeping God on your mind you won’t have to struggle with it any longer, you will just do it automatically. You will develop an awareness that the Almighty God, whose power no foe can withstand, is always with you. Fear will fade away and be replaced with confidence. 

2 I will say of the Lord, He is my Refuge and my Fortress, my God; on Him I lean and rely, and in Him I [confidently] trust!

Verse 2 is your part; it gives you the first step to dwelling in the secret place. It tells you just what to say to yourself about your relationship with God. However, instead of saying “I will say…” Just say it. I say, or admit or declare that the Lord is my refuge and the fortress, or umbrella that I dwell under. The word “I” is small but powerful. It makes it more personal and helps it digest into a part of your consciousness. You proclaim that you rely on Him and you confidently trust Him above all else. You accept the fact that you are protected by the one whose power no foe can withstand. You are safe and comfortable in Him. 

3 For [then] He will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence.

In verse 3 the narrator begins describing the benefits of your dwelling. He, meaning God, will deliver you from the snares that the world puts out to make life more difficult. God will deliver you from pestilence like sickness and disease. This doesn’t mean that those things aren’t out there, they are. However, the more you dwell the more protected you are. 

Verses 4 through 13 continue to describe the benefits of dwelling in the Secret Place of the Most High. Notice in verse 7 there is mention of 1101 people, and only one of them is dwelling there. It takes some effort and determination to get there and stay there. If it was easy, everyone would be doing it. 

4 [Then] He will cover you with His pinions, and under His wings shall you trust and find refuge; His truth and His faithfulness are a shield and a buckler.

5 You shall not be afraid of the terror of the night, nor of the arrow (the evil plots and slanders of the wicked) that flies by day,

6 Nor of the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor of the destruction and sudden death that surprise and lay waste at noonday.

7 A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand, but it shall not come near you.

8 Only a spectator shall you be [yourself inaccessible in the secret place of the Most High] as you witness the reward of the wicked.

9 Because you have made the Lord your refuge, and the Most High your dwelling place, [Ps. 91:1, 14.]

10 There shall no evil befall you, nor any plague orcalamity come near your tent.

11 For He will give His angels [especial] charge over you to accompany and defend and preserve you in all your ways [of obedience and service].

12 They shall bear you up on their hands, lest you dash your foot against a stone. [Luke 4:10, 11; Heb. 1:14.]

13 You shall tread upon the lion and adder; the young lion and the serpent shall you trample underfoot. [Luke 10:19.]

The rest of this Psalm is God speaking to the mediator about you who are dwelling in the Secret Place of the Most High and abiding under the Shadow of the Almighty.

14 Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore will I deliver him; I will set him on high, because he knows and understands My name [has a personal knowledge of My mercy, love, and kindness–trusts and relies on Me, knowing I will never forsake him, no, never].

15 He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.

16 With long life will I satisfy him and show him My salvation.

Just like you start the day with food for your body, or breakfast, you can start your day with Psalm 91 as food for your spirit or your spiritual breakfast. You can also snack on it throughout the day. The more you feed your spirit the stronger it gets and the more you dwell in the Secret Place of the Most High and abide under the Shadow of the Almighty. 

bon appétit