How do we "take refuge under His wings" (Psalm 91:4)?

The simple reality of the faith of the Lord Jesus cannot but bring the results described in this section, which begins with the word, "Surely." And God did deliver Him from the snare of the fowler (v. 3). Satan tried every subtle means of tripping Him up, as he does with believers generally. but there was no possibility of Satan's success in the case of the Lord Jesus. Both God's feathers and God's wings are seen in verse 4, the feathers speaking of comfort and the wings of protection. Thank God these are always available for believers, but for Him they were not only available, but never lacking in any degree. For God's truth was His shield and buckler. It was His unvarying practice to meditate on the truth of God's Word, that Word which is unfailing in its ability to protect and uphold the one who depends on it, and Christ's dependence was unchanging.

Verse 4, "He shall cover thee with His feathers, and under His wings shalt thou trust; His truth shall be thy shield and buckler." We are all surely desirous of learning a little more of the truth, but let us think for a moment of what that truth can do. By it we are shielded, guarded, protected, and preserved, and as we are found walking in subjection to it the evil in this world will not overcome us. We may have troubles, and may be confronted with many obstacles, but thank God, we have the power to overcome. If truth is our shield and our buckler we shall not only find joy in being engaged with Christ, but we shall grow to be like Him as we are formed by the truth. But the perfection of all this is seen in the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, in His pathway as a Man in this world.

188 He has on the breastplate of righteousness. What was the path of the blessed Lord? There was nothing in question as to His state. He went untouched with all that man could bring against Him; His feet were shod. So with him who follows Christ, he can bring out the Spirit and character of Christ wherever he goes. It may raise hatred, as it did with Christ; His perfect love brought out the hatred of man; but a subdued, godly, upright man will be a peaceful man in passing through the world, and although man may not speak peaceably to him, as much as lieth in him, he is to live peaceably with all men. Thus we get it in both aspects, - the path is characterized by the spirit of grace and peace, and there is righteousness and truth. The state of the heart first right, loins girt with truth, righteousness for a breastplate, and feet shod with peace, the soul subjectively right, I can then take up the shield of faith. Subjectively right, I have not to think of myself. A man walking with nothing on his conscience is free; if not walking right, he will be occupied with himself. The mere existence of an evil nature does not suppose a bad conscience, but yielding to it does. We are not told to confess sin, but sins; it is easy to confess sin - easy to say, "I am a poor sinful creature," but that generally is to excuse sins. I have failed to keep the flesh down. Of course I can never say I have no sin, but if I am not bearing about in the body the dying of Jesus, practically dead, the flesh will surely play me false. We want these three first elements of the armour, and then we have not to think about ourselves. Practically in the light, as He is in the light, the heart right, I then get the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. This shield supposes I can look up with entire blessed confidence in God. "He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty; He shall cover thee with His feathers, and under His wings shalt thou trust; His truth shall be Thy shield and buckler; thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night, nor for the arrow that flieth by day."

The Psalmist had some dim aspirations after such a secret person or place, but he sought for it mainly as a refuge: “He that dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. … He shall cover thee with His feathers, and under His wings shalt thou trust” (Ps. 91:1-4). God Himself was the singer's retreat from every peril.

He knew His name. God's greatness is shewn by despising nothing. His love is so great that not a sparrow falleth to the ground without His knowledge. Christ always trusted Him (Psalms 20, 21). In the case of Jesus is the practical exhibition of this truth - He dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High; in us in measure. Being one with Christ, we are able to appropriate this to ourselves. All His actings on earth came from the perfectness of communion with the Father. The promise was, He shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I do always those things that please the Father, and abide in His love (v. 2). What He calls for is complete recognition of Himself, then come all the promises. The one thing we have to do is to own God in all His fulness. Imperfectly, but in principle, we dwell in the secret of the Most High. Why we are often in trial, etc., is because we are not dwelling in the secret of the Most High. Verse 4, "He shall cover thee with his feathers," etc. As His power covers and shelters us, so His truth is our shield and buckler. God's truth always comes to us in Jesus. just so far as we are in the secret of the Most High, we are under the shadow of the Almighty. If we are going our own way, we shall have chastening and trial, and in mercy too. What we have to seek is to make the Lord our habitation. He leadeth us forth in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake.

(v. 2) In this verse we know that Christ is the speaker, for the Spirit of God, in Hebrews 2:13, uses the statement “I will put my trust in him,” as the language of Christ. It is the acceptance by Christ of the proposal of verse 1. He responds by saying, “I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust,” He will make God his refuge in every storm, and his defence from every enemy. The need of a “refuge” and a “fortress” proves that Christ is speaking in the circumstances of man. There will be no storms to ruffle the calm of heaven, no enemy to oppose. It is a wilderness psalm, and, in after days is used by the Spirit of God in the wilderness circumstances of our Lord (See Luke 4:10 and Heb. 1:14).

The names by which God is referred to in the first two verses have a special significance. The “Most High” speaks of the absolute supremacy of God (Gen. 14:18-20). “The Almighty” speaks of absolute power (Gen. 17:1). Then we learn from the lips of Christ that the One who is supreme in position and absolute in power is the Jehovah of Israel — the Eternal God, the I AM. How safe then — how sure of blessing must be the one who dwells in His secret place.

(vv. 3-8) In these verses the Spirit of God addresses Christ, unfolding the blessings that flow to the one who dwells in the secret place of the Most High. Such will know the power of God delivering from the snares of the enemy, and from the destructive pestilence of evil. Moreover he will enjoy the watchful care of love, for “He shall cover thee with His feathers, and under His wings shalt thou find refuge.” In result the one who dwells in the secret place will not be afraid of secret attack — “the terror by night,” nor of direct and open opposition — the “arrow by day.” A thousand shall fall at his side, but destruction shall not come nigh the one who confides in Jehovah. He shall have no part in the judgment of the wicked save to behold it with his eyes.

(Vv. 1, 2) What then are we to understand by "dwelling in the secret place," to which such blessing is attached, as witnessed by every voice in the Psalm? To use our New Testament language, does it not speak of the inner life of secret communion lived with Divine Persons? Is it not this life to which the Lord's words refer when He says, "If I wash thee not thou hast no part with Me;" and again when He says, "Abide in Me"? Does not the apostle John bring before us this secret life, when he writes, "Our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ"? (John 13:8, John 15:4-7, 1 John 1:3). To have part with Christ, and abide in Him, is to live in communion with Him where He is. To live such a life is to dwell "in the secret place."

It is not the outer life lived before men of which the Psalm speaks, but the inner life lived in secret before God. Further, it is not occasional communion of which the Psalm speaks, but rather the constant experience of the soul, for it speaks of one that "dwells in the secret place." We know that there has been only one Man who lived this life of unbroken communion with God — the Man "Christ Jesus, Who, when on earth, could speak of Himself as "the Son of Man which is in heaven" (John 3:13). He walked on earth but lived in heaven. While, the experience of the Psalm is only fully realised in Christ, it, none the less, presents a perfect example for the believer.

The words used are those of absolute dependence; and now another voice, which is that surely of the Spirit of prophesy, answers again with the assurance of how completely this faith is justified and made good. He has made God His refuge, and shall find it a perfect and absolute one: from the snare of the trapper and the pestilence alike He will deliver; and in the tender love of endeared relationship, covering with His feathers and the broad shelter of His outstretched wings, — love pledged to Him who has cast Himself entirely upon it, so that His truth becomes a shield and buckler.

The inward realization answers to this perfect care: no terror of the night, no arrow flying openly by day, alarms. Nature is at peace with Him with whom its God is: pestilence nor destruction touches Him; and the fall of thousands round Him only demonstrates the more the complete protection which the divine government throws round the Man whose sole reliance is in God. Only shall He see with His own eyes the end of the wicked.

David does not appeal to God on the ground of his integrity, but on that of God's mercy (v. 1). for he trusts in God, and this is the one real claim on such mercy. He practically considers himself as a helpless chicken seeking the shelter of the wings of the mother hen because great danger threatens. But he counts also on the passing of such calamities. Thus, his prayer is "to God Most High," whose greatness is high above the power of the enemy, and who will perform all things for him (v. 2). How good to have such calm confidence of faith at the very time the evil threatens!

In the psalm itself, there is no peculiar difficulty. It goes on from present shelter to future deliverance and these are (speaking broadly) the two parts into which it is divided, each part being closed with the refrain.

In the first part the soul casts itself upon divine grace, as that which will surely meet the faith that takes refuge in it. The bird that, according to the ancient story, would shelter itself from the pursuer in the bosom of man may have cause to repent its confidence; but who shall ever say that his confidence in God has deceived him? Nay, rather, when all other trust is found to be in vain, this becomes the only and all-sufficient one. "Depths" of evil and abysses of sorrow there are indeed on every side; but the shadow of Jehovah's wings is not merely a place of escape but a home rest, where the Eternal Light subdues itself to our weakness, and yet is an infinite glory of truth and holiness and fostering care.