As human beings, we worry a lot. Depending on what stage of life we are in, we find different things that worry us. As children, we may worry about being punished by our parents for something we did. As young adults, we may worry about college, career, marriage and family, and all the expenses that go with these things. In middle age, we may be concerned with expenses for sending our kids to college, paying for their weddings, paying off debt, and planning for retirement. In our senior years, we may worry about having enough money for emergencies, our health, and many other things. Why do we worry? Because we cannot see the future and we see what is happening around us, we worry.
This psalm deals with our worries. It covers deadly diseases, plagues, warfare, natural disasters, dangers at night, and dangers during the day. Of course, we all know we must die sometime because of the original covenant God made with our ancestors, Adam and Eve, which they broke, the Covenant of Works. But we have no idea when we will die. In his prayer Psalm 90, Moses said to God, “You turn people back to dust, saying ‘Return to dust you mortals’.” We all hope to live long lives, but we do not know where or when our lives will end.
The great thing about being a Christian is we do not have to let these problems worry us. We can by faith know that we will live until God’s purpose for us is completed. The writer states, “Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. This I declare about the Lord: He is my refuge, my place of safety; He is my God, and I trust Him.” In verses 9-11, he writes, “If you make the Lord your refuge, if you have 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.”
Genesis 25 tells us that Abraham lived to be 175 years old; Moses lived to be 120 years old. David and Solomon lived to be 70 years old. Anthony Burger, a brilliant pianist with the Gaithers, died during a performance at age 44. John Flynn, a young man I knew in college, died a little over one year after graduating, getting married, and beginning his music ministry with a church. Hebrews 11:1 tells us, “Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.” Our hope and trust must be in God who loves us so much!