Psalm 91 is without a given author, and certainly has a message for the ages. God is our refuge in times of trouble. However, this psalm also opens us up to temptation. After all, this psalm is cited by Satan in the Gospels as a reason for Jesus to jump off the Temple. After all, wouldn't Jesus be saved as part of the promise of angelic protection? The other temptation is to read this psalm as a proof of whether or not God loves you. It can be easy to read this psalm and look back on one's life and see that perhaps you have been struck with harm, and then you look at this psalm with either cynicism or shame.
Indeed, this psalm seems to intend neither shame nor cynicism. The Bible is abundantly clear that we are not guaranteed freedom from suffering nor absence of hardship. In fact, Jesus says "blessed are you" when we face hardship. Indeed, God's salvation goes beyond our temporal hardship and into everlasting relationship. So today, I give thanks to the God who can be trusted and is the savior!
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