Psalms 91:1b – 21b. “shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.”

2. “I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress:

my God; in him will I trust.”

After understanding that to be In Him (according to Psalms 91:1a), means – He that “sit down” in the “secret of his presence to enjoy intimate communication” of “the Supreme – God over all, higher than the highest of angels or me.” 

We then move a little deeper. Looking at the second part of Psalms 91:1, we understand how to move forward “In Him.”

Definitions:

Shall – expressing a strong assertion or intention – a future tense.

To correctly use “shall,” confine it to the meaning “has a duty to” and use it to impose a duty on a capable actor.

Abide – accept or act in accordance with (a rule, decision, or recommendation).

“I said I would abide by their decision”

synonyms:

comply with, obey, observe, follow, keep to, hold to, conform to, adhere to, stick to, stand by, act in accordance with, uphold, heed, accept, go along with, acknowledge, respect, defer to

“he expected everybody to abide by the rules”

antonyms:

flout, disobey

Under – controlled, managed, or governed by.

Shadow – a dark area or shape produced by a body coming between rays of light and a surface. synonyms: silhouette, outline, shape, contour, profile

The Almighty in scripture – Christ, the Son of God, is sometimes compared to the shadow of a rock, or tree, which screens and shelters from heat; as he preserves his people from the heat of a fiery law, the flaming sword of justice, the wrath of God, the fiery darts of Satan, and the fury of persecutors: under this shadow do they abide or lodge all night, safe and secure, as the word signifies: the Targum calls this shadow the shadow of the clouds of glory; the Arabic version, “the shadow of the God of heaven.”

Psalms 91:1b – can also be understood as:

“has a duty to” comply with, obey, observe, follow” being “controlled, managed, or governed by” “the silhouette outline, shape” of “Christ, the Son of God.”

Paul said it best in Philemon 1:1 and 1:9, that he was a Prisoner of Jesus Christ. This does not mean Paul was being punished for misdeeds, but that He was sold out to God to the point where he was no longer his own. He belonged to God, and was willing to do what God willed.

Now, looking at Psalms 91:2…

Definitions:

Refuge – a condition of being safe or sheltered from pursuit, danger, or trouble. Something providing shelter.

Fortress – a heavily protected and impenetrable building. figurative. a person or thing not susceptible to outside influence or disturbance.

Trust – firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone or something.

Once we, as the people of God, find ourselves “In Him”, and agree to allow God to manage our lives, we are able to take advantage of the divine protection that only God can provide. This is key – we must allow God to lead, and direct us in every aspect of our lives. To do less is not holding up our end of the bargain. It also prohibits us from receiving the benefits that come with being found In Him. 

Understand that you cannot be In Him and constantly walk in disobedience, or rebellion at the same time. If you are going to do things your own way, you have stepped outside of God.

When we allow God to have control, God becomes our shelter, the impenetrable building in which we live. We can stand firm on his reliability, his truth, his ability, and his strength.

We (and everything which concerns us) are safe because God, our fortress, is not susceptible to outside influence or disturbance. He insulates us. But we must stay, dwell In Him, to enjoy this protection. If we step outside of him, we leave this divine protection, and open ourselves up to all kinds of evil influences.

To be clear, we are always targets of the enemy. However, being In Him we have protection from the wiles of the enemy. To be outside of him is to live a life without his protection.