What Makes God, God? His Faithfulness: Psalm 91:4

Psalm 91:4- "He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart."

One of the consequences of broken families is broken trust. If it is a failed marriage, then trust between spouses breaks. If a child never sees a father, then the absentee father leads that child to question his trustworthiness. 

Love and faithfulness go hand in hand when it comes to understanding God. In fact, the psalmist wrote, "love and faithfulness meet together..." (Psalm 85:10). Think about it. If God breaks His promises, how can you trust His love for you? 

The key verse for this week's devotion comes from a psalm of promises where God's faithfulness meets His love. 

• We can rest in the shadow of the Almighty (1)
• He is our refuge and fortress (2)
• He will save us (3)
• He will cover us (4)
• He will protect us from harm (5-8)
• He will send armies of angels to watch over us (11-12)
• He will answer us when we call on Him (15)
• He will be with us (15)
• He will deliver us (15)
• He will satisfy us (16)

That is a long, all-encompassing list of promises. But none of it means anything if God is proven to be unfaithful. How can you rest in Him if you can't count on Him? How can you feel protected if God never shows up? Take a moment to learn what it means for us that God is faithful.

First, we can enjoy a parental relationship with God. As a mother who protectively dotes over her young, so God regards you. He is like a mother who ruthlessly protects her young. He is like a father who always shows up.  

Next, God covers us by being the refuge where we can hide. The forces of evil can never touch us because God covers us. Our enemies can never prevail because He is our refuge. God doesn't merely create a hiding place for us. He is our hiding place (Psalm 32:7). God stood as the fourth man in the fiery furnace (Daniel 3:25). God dispatched His angel to close the mouth of the lions (Daniel 6:21). He stands in the moment of trouble with us.

Finally, God is your shield and rampart. He shields you from the fiery darts of the evil one. He surrounds you as a wall defends a city and as a mother shelters her baby (Psalm 125:2). 

He becomes your extinguishing shield when you believe (Ephesians 6:16). We interpret this verse in Ephesians to mean that faith acts as our shield. But we need God more than we need faith, because the embattled context of our lives demands the intervention of God just as a threatening enemy demands our weapons. This explains why Psalm 91:4 identifies God as our shield against the enemy.

We need the One who fights the battle for us because we will always face another giant (1 Samuel 17:47). Why does there always have to be another battle? Because without the trial there can never be a Victor. Without the fire, there was no need for the Fourth Man. Without the den, there would be no Deliverer. Without the darts, you can never experience the Shield. 

Life Application

But you may have a legitimate reason to doubt whether God will show up for you because so many have let you down in the past. 

I want to remind you of something. God can no more pull back on His promises than the sun not shine in the morning (Lamentations 3:22-23). 

But how can you experience the faithfulness of God when it seems as if God has let you down? There is a story that at first glance contradicts the faithfulness of God. Upon a closer look, it reveals a deep truth that gives rhyme and reason to your battle.  

One day a desperate Canaanite Mom fell at Jesus' feet begging Him to deliver her daughter from the demon that vexed her young spirit (Matthew 15:21-28; Mark 7: 24-30). Jesus responded, "I was only sent to the lost sheep of Israel. First, let the children eat all they want, for it is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to the dogs" (Mark 7:27). His dismissive answer did not deter her determination, though. "Yes it is, Lord," she said. "Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master's table." With that, Jesus declared, "Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted." 

Where is the faithfulness of God in that exchange between a desperate Mom and the Son of God? Jesus' answer seemed callous and indifferent to her plight. But notice a theme that shows up in this Mom's story.  

From this mother's perspective, she had to endure the perceived indifference of God before she could experience His faithful protection over her daughter. Sometimes it takes a real reason to doubt to enter a new season of promise. Deliverance demanded this Mom's desperation. God's protection required Daniel to face down lions (Daniel 6). The possible revelation of the pre-incarnate Son of God demanded a sweltering fire (Daniel 3). God's provision necessitated Paul and Silas's chains and dark dungeon (Acts 16). 

So what do you do with that if you are standing in the fire today? Let me give you a few practical suggestions to endure where you are so you can one day see the faithfulness of God. 

• Embrace the trouble you are experiencing today. Don't deny it, but don't let it have the final say by determining how you relate to God. You may not be able to see God today, but someday you will. Take it one battle at a time, waiting to hear His quiet voice leading you to the next step.

• Find a friend you can confide in. Remember, Daniel had three friends. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego stood together. Paul and Silas sang together. And believe it or not, this desperate Mom did have Jesus. Don't try to do this alone. Find a friend who can keep you connected to God during a time when you can't see Him. 

The promise of God for you is this: As sure as the sun rises in the morning, God is faithful.

"Faithful God, I pray for all of those today who are enduring the battles of life. May they endure by your unseen hand. May they persevere through your quiet voice. And may today be the day for their deliverance as their eyes once again see you shielding them from the enemy's harm and surrounding them with your Faithful Presence. Amen." 

Scriptures for further study

Psalm 91

Lamentations 3:22-23

Matthew 15:21-28