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v.1 Declares the theme of the Psalm and v.2 has the psalmist affirming his own personal adherence to the truths he wishes to share. vv.3-13 contain the body of the psalm with a development of the opening theme. vv.14-16 bring the psalm to a close with God becoming the speaker.

The psalm opens quite simply with an affirmation that takes a remarkable truth for granted.

What is that truth? It's possible to dwell in the shelter (secret place) of the Most High! Not only so but it is possible to go on and on enjoying His protection.

But what does this actually mean? What does it mean to dwell in the "shelter/secret place of the Most High"?

From an OT perspective the term "secret place" could well refer to the Holy of Holies ie. the place where God lives in the midst of His people. Into this place the High Priest could only penetrate once a year and then he had to take the blood of a lamb with him.

The ordinary believer couldn't go into that "secret place" himself but only vicariously as the High Priest with the blood was representing him. Nevertheless the believer could count on all the promises of protection that the Lord had given to His people.

From a NT perspective the idea of dwelling/abiding leads us on to think of Jesus' own words in Jn.15:4 "Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me." In this context Jesus promises us spiritually fruitful lives through continuing in union with Him – receiving; applying and obeying His teaching.

Such dwelling or settling down – a lovely expression – will involve meditation, prayer and transferring trust from our own limited resources to trusting Him. It is clear, for example, that the psalmist has spent considerable time meditating on the person of God – we'll return to this shortly.

The psalmist quickly adds his own personal testimony to add weight to the truth he's in the process of developing.

v.2 contains a nice summary of that response:

     Prayer

     Worship – declaring the worthiness of the Lord!

     Trust

Such a trusting lifestyle practice focusing on God and His Christ frees from anxiety, worry, frustration and impatience. Trusting Him allows us to hold a realistic vision of life in general.

The Psalmist has large views of God – in these first two verses he speaks of God using six different words or phrases each with it's own particular shade of meaning and each adding to the richness of the overall vision.

1.       Most High – this underlines the exaltedness of God, His high and lofty stature – He is distinct from His creation and in no way to be identified with it.

2.       Almighty – Having all power, this God is well able to accomplish everything He purposes to do. He is totally capable of intervening to protect His people. Dangers of all sorts can be safely faced with this God.

a.        Refuge – a safe place when circumstances are inhospitable – we find refuges on mountains: a place to hide when the clouds and the rain descend upon the climber. We find refuges too on roads going steeply downhill in case the descent is simply too difficult to handle.

b.        Fortress – a strong place in which to be protected when the enemy approaches

Cf. Ps.18:2 "The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold."

Ps.144:2 "he is my steadfast love and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield and he in whom I take refuge, who subdues peoples under me."

3.       LORD – we've encountered this word regularly over the recent weeks – the covenant, personal name of God. This is the God who has freely decided to bestow numerous of undeserved blessings upon His people. This is the LORD who will never lie and so can be depended upon completely!

4.       God – the supreme-being, the creator and sustainer of all things. This God is the true God; the one who really is. He is totally unlike the sham gods of false religions and idolatry.

The "you" employed in this Psalm is the singular "you" rather than a general plural. The psalmist wants to encourage each individual to respond to this great trustworthy God as he has done. Is that true of you? Have you started to live the kind of life the psalmist has been speaking about?

Such trusting is in reality highly practical because we all have to encounter similar life experiences of various kinds.

It is interesting to notice that the blessings that the psalmist highlights in the following verses are those attached to the covenant God had established with His people. In the covenant the LORD had freely promised to bless His people but He mad e the enjoyment of these blessings conditional upon the people's own individual obedience.

The people of Israel never completely fulfilled their obligations and hence never fully enjoyed the promised blessings. But where Israel failed again and again our Lord Jesus Christ did not and by His obedience He has secured all these blessings for His people – blessings partly to be enjoyed in this life and fully in the next!

v.4 Deliverance from danger

     Traps and snares laid for us by our enemy (or the Enemy) – the wicked schemes of others.

     Illness or sickness. While in this life there is no absolute guarantee of perfect health – but how many times have the trials of believers been alleviated by the LORD. Even when he must suffer his trials are not tragic affairs because he knows that the LORD has a purpose for him in them all.

vv.5-7 Protection

     Knowing the LORD loves him and watches over him leads the psalmist to declare that fear has no proper place in the believer's life. In fact when tempted to fear the believer should remember that he is indeed the special object of His Lord's love!

v.9 The psalmist refers once again to the idea of refuge which he has already mentioned in v.2 and it is perhaps time for us to ask another question. Who is the one being spoken of in this psalm? Who has ever been able to live out this psalm? Was it a priest or a King? Was it not the One who united both these offices in His own person? Was it not Jesus-Christ alone who could fully say these things in all the circumstances of His life? And surely the approbation that God signals in vv.14-16 apply most appropriately to our Lord Jesus.

If such an interpretation is indeed valid it is not surprising then to find Satan trying to misuse, to misquote and to misapply this very psalm in his efforts to draw our Lord into sin! Cf. Mt.4:6.

Satan tried to encourage Jesus to put God to the test whereas this psalm encourages a simple trust instead – there is a world of difference between the two!

I wonder if you have ever noticed what Satan didn't quote. He didn't go on to quote the very next verse v.13. Look at it – it speaks of treading all dangers down under foot. Specifically it speaks of treading on the serpents head – the very thing the promised Messiah would do – Gen.3:15 – and the very thing Jesus did do, both at the temptation episode and throughout His entire life!

Trusting God did not remove all difficulties from the life of Christ and no more will it remove those difficulties from the lives of His followers. Yet having said this God delivers from danger! Do you remember what Joseph said to his brothers in Gen.50:20 "As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today."

Earlier the psalmist has made his declarations. Now God Himself brings the psalm to a close by adding His promises.

Here He says what He will do for the one trusts Him and who has come into a personal relationship with Him (v.14 "he holds fast to me in love" and "he knows my name".)

Again – is it necessary to say it again? – life is not trouble free. Indeed, as Jesus said, in the world we will have tribulation!

But what a joy to know what will do for the one who puts his trust in Him!

In these closing verses the Lord affirms that He will

     Protect

     Answer

     Be with

     Rescue

     Honour

     Satisfy

And finally He promises to show him salvation.

What a wonderful thing to have such a God in whom to place our trust!

To God be the glory.