Finding Shelter
October 14, 2026
Praying Friends,
In the midst of fear and anxiety, the psalmist of Psalm 91 begins by saying, “Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty” (Psalm 91:1 NIV).
These words sound great on paper, but what does it mean when you are exposed to terrifying and imminent, life-threatening danger with no visible place to turn — nowhere to hide, and nowhere to find shelter?
This psalmist describes the dangers: the snare of the fowler, deadly pestilence, terror by night, arrows by day, pestilence and destruction.
These could be literal dangers that are presented through vivid poetic imagery. A fowler was someone who caught birds using traps or nets. The snare represents a danger that is unexpected or deliberately laid to ensnare someone.
The Hebrew word translated as pestilence refers to a plague or epidemic disease. In the ancient world, such outbreaks were terrifying and could easily cause widespread death.
Terror by night alludes to those frightening things that keep you awake at night. It may encompass nighttime attacks, threats from enemies, frightening events, or the fear and uncertainty that darkness brings.
The arrows that fly were genuine weapons of warfare in the ancient world. An arrow could come suddenly, at a distance, and without warning. To make the application to our lives today, the snare of the fowler could be any hidden dangers, deception, or unexpected traps.
Deadly pestilence could speak to serious illness and widespread disease. Terror by night could translate into fear, uncertainty, or unseen threats. The arrows by day could be sudden attacks from the enemy or problems that arrive without warning.
Pestilence and destruction could be any form of devastating circumstances beyond our control.
All these dangers are real in the Christian experience, and while God doesn’t always deliver us from them, He has promised to be our shelter and refuge.
The psalmist writes, “‘Because he loves me,’ says the LORD, ‘I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name’” (Psalm 91:14). As we pray today for our prodigals and for revival, may we acknowledge the name of our God.
Warmly in Christ’s name,
Bryan and Rachel
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