“If you make the Lord your refuge, if you make the Most High your shelter, no evil will conquer you; no plague will come near your home. For he will order his angels to protect you wherever you go.” –Psalm 91:9-10, NLT

Before His death, Jesus foretold about the end times which would signal His imminent return. Suffice it to say, the picture He painted is by no means rosy. On the contrary, a gray, grim dystopia is described as we read about the arrest, persecution, and martyrdom of last-days believers.[1] Corruption, violence, and moral depravity will be even more widespread than they are today.[2] News of war will make headlines every morning.[3] Earthquakes and famine will occur more frequently and with an unthinkable intensity the world has never seen.[4]

It doesn’t matter whether you believe in a pre, mid, or post-tribulational rapture of the Church – or no rapture at all; the fact remains that as the final return of Christ draws closer, the world grows wickeder.

With all the evil and hatred toward the truth of the Gospel spreading like wildfire across the globe, our world has consequently become quite a frightening place to live. Recent tragedies such as the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing and the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in 2012 remind us of the fragility and unpredictability of life. It would seem that just stepping out of our homes means taking a risk. Nowhere we go is guaranteed to be 100 percent safe.

The scarier this world becomes, the more comfort promises like today’s Psalm bring to our souls. Those of us who have chosen to follow the Lord and accept Him as our “refuge” are supernaturally guarded from evil! (Feel free to let out a shout of praise God now…unless you’re in public, in which case a soft, non-disruptive handclap is advised, ha!)

I’m reminded of the story in 2 Kings chapter 6 in which Elisha the prophet’s servant rose one morning to see that he and his master were completely surrounded by the army of their enemies. The servant was, in today’s vernacular, “freaking out” a little! Then Elisha said these awesome words:

“’Don’t be afraid! … For there are more on our side than on theirs!’” -2 Kings 6:16, NLT

Perhaps Elisha could detect from a blank expression on his servant’s face that it would take more than an enthusiastic pep talk to quell his fear, because what happens next is absolutely astonishing:

^“Then Elisha prayed, ‘O Lord, open his eyes and let him see!’ The Lord opened the young man’s eyes, and when he looked up, he saw that the hillside around Elisha was filled with horses and chariots of fire.” -2 Kings 6:17, NLT

 

 

You might find this hard to believe, but Elisha’s servant didn’t witness anything out of the ordinary. Though we cannot see the heavenly realm, its heroic heralds, or shining soldiers, we can rest assured that they are indeed all around us as they were in biblical days; God has commanded them to be so! (Psalm 91:10)

What relief rises within our souls as we take a deep in and know that there is Someone greater than our parents, the government, our spouse, our own intelligence at protecting us from harm. There is Someone stronger than health foods, the gym, and modern medicine at protecting us from illness. There is Someone more reliable than alarm systems, self-defense, and German Shepherds at protecting us from evildoers. That “Someone” is the Lord of the angel armies, the One who shouts at clouds to make it rain, tells ocean waves where they’re to stop, commands the dawn to awaken earth, conducts the stars in their nightly symphony![5]

Take shelter in the Most High today, and you will find comfort in His everlasting promises.

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