Here’s the place where we’ll remain not fetchable by the enemy
By Dean Collins
“Catchable but not fetchable.”
That is what they said about my great-great grandmother Mahala who was known to the locals on Newman’s Ridge as “Big Haley.” That’s what the sheriff reported when they finally caught Mahala and tried to arrest her for her long-running moonshine operation in the hills of Tennessee. I used to think of this as all folklore until last summer when I saw the picture of the man who made the arrest and learned of lots of documentation of the event.
Great-great Grandmother was in violation of the law and was placed under house arrest. Her size, health, and location on the top of the mountain made it somewhat impossible to move her. At the end of her life, she confessed faith in Jesus and wrote a note to loved ones expressing her belief in Jesus as Savior.
I don’t know how much Bible Mahala ever read, but I have a copy of her grandson’s Bible that is very worn. It makes me wonder how seeds of faith were sown in the family and passed down to me. My mountain-dwelling ancestors certainly faced their share of hard times on their isolated ridge, but there are hundreds of ancestors who came from these humble roots and have lived lives of faith and shown evidence that God does indeed provide shelter for his children and is a refuge and fortress for those who seek him.
Moments of fear, place of safety
We do not really know the circumstances that prompted the writing of Psalm 91. What we can feel as we read the psalm is the writer’s hope and confidence that God will bring both comfort and deliverance from fear. “The snare of the fowler and the deadly pestilence” sound like the psalmist has reason to be concerned. The descriptions of “arrow that flies by day” and “pestilence that stalks in darkness along with destruction that wastes at noonday” seem like not imaginary but real threats.
In the midst of fears and threats, the writer acknowledges that God is his place of safety in times of great danger. My guess is that while many of the psalmist’s threats were real and visible, the psalmist also feared the unknown and unseen. How many times does our mind run with fears of things that might happen and never do? Yet fear and anxiety can weigh us down and keep us from experiencing joy and comfort that might be nearby.
Stop!
In a previous season of life when I worked as a therapist, I often gave homework to clients to read and memorize certain passages of Scripture they could quote out loud when they became consumed with fears. This assignment followed my instructions to speak the word “stop!” out loud when runaway anxiety raced through the client’s mind, creating feelings of fear.
You will recall that the devil himself quoted part of this psalm during the 40 days Jesus was tempted in the wilderness: “For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.”
The response of Jesus came quickly as he spoke to the enemy, quoting Scripture back to him: “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’”
Comfort and calm
Anxiety is real and sometimes needs medical intervention and professional treatment. So if you are suffering with anxiety, it is wise to seek professional help. But there are many times when the enemy tempts us to stir fear and anxiety as a means to distract us from the promises of God. In these moments, reading and quoting Scriptures such as Psalm 91 will both point us toward the source of our protection and bring us comfort and calm.
The first 13 verses of this psalm express the voice of the psalmist as he declares his confidence in God. In verses 14-16, the voice changes to God’s voice. God wants us to know that he will meet us in our moments of fear, both those we may imagine and also in times of real threats. He promises to be with us, help us, and deliver us through our suffering and one day even right into his presence in eternity.
We can remain not fetchable by the enemy as we dwell in the shelter of God’s amazing arms and rest in the shadow of his outstretched arms.
Your time with God’s Word
Psalm 91:1-16 ESV
Photo by PeopleImages at istockphoto.com
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