March 10, 2003
LifeWay Family Bible Series for March 23
Troubled times allow faith to be demonstrated
___ Psalm 91:1-16
___By Tim Owens
___First Baptist Church, Bryan
___The questions presented in this lesson are, "Does God respond to my prayers for protection? If so, how?"
___Scripture claims God hears and is able to answer the prayers of his people when they turn to him for protection in threatening situations. In a secular worldview, people tend to embrace wealth, success, technology, families, even themselves for security and protection in the midst of threatening situations.
___In the biblical worldview, Christians look to God for their ultimate security. As they learn to trust God, Christians rely on God to protect and to deliver them in the midst of threatening situations. When they call out to God in prayer, they discover God hears and is able to answer them.
___The cartoon depicted an elderly apartment dweller who was in the process of locking the seven different locks on his door--deadbolts, sliding locks and security locks. At the same time, the blade of a saw was cutting a circle in the floor beneath him. It was a humorous attempt to make a serious point: There is no possible escape from everything that threatens people in this world.
___The message of Psalm 91 is a promise of protection for God's people in an increasingly frightened and insecure age. The first two verses present the steps a person must take to experience the promise of God's protection: "He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, 'He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.'"
___God does protect and provide for his children, but his children must be willing to commune with God in prayer and to trust him. God never promises his children they will be free from accidents, illness, pain, distress, crisis or death. Christians are susceptible to all of life's dangers. God does promise his grace to his children when they call out to him in prayer. His grace will be there to protect, sustain, strengthen and deliver.
___The Christian often prays, "Lord, deliver me from this situation." God often answers by saying, "I will deliver you in this situation. I will give you my sustaining grace through this difficult trial."
___Christians know they are growing deeper in a life of prayer when their prayers move from, "Lord, take this circumstance away from me," to, "Lord, grow me in and through this circumstance." Whether it is delivering his people from danger or sustaining them in the midst of danger, God promises to provide for them if they will call out to him in believing prayer.
___God protects his children
because of his promise
___One image of promise the psalmist expresses is that God protects his people with his wings (Psalm 91:4). This imagery comes into focus when one considers how an eaglet learns to fly.
___Approximately 67 days after its birth, the eaglet stands on the edge of the nest. It stretches its wings--feeling the air, testing its tail feathers and leaning forward into the wind. The moment finally comes when the eaglet pushes off the nest, and for the first time it tries to fly. The result is almost disastrous. The eaglet loses control, and it looks as if it is falling to its death. At what seems to be the last second, the father and mother fly down to the eaglet, one on either side. Flying in formation beside the eaglet, the parents allow the eaglet to use the thermal currents created by their wings to help the eaglet stabilize itself. Then they escort the eaglet back to the nest.
___Perhaps this is the picture the psalmist has in mind when he thinks of how God protects his children. God's people often find themselves in dangerous situations. Sometimes these situations almost overwhelm them, but when they call out to God in prayer, God's children discover God is there, stabilizing and enabling them to find their way back to safety.
___A second provision of promise is from the angels of God (Psalm 91:11,12). Scripture clearly states God uses supernatural beings in his control and providence of both the world and the lives of his people. The psalmist indicates angels exercise protection over God's people, guarding them in ways never known to them.
___God protects his children
because of his nature
___In Psalm 91:1-2, the psalmist reveals God by four names. God is "Most High"--above all difficulty and danger. God is "Almighty"--nothing is powerful enough to overcome God. God is "the Lord." This is God's covenant name--I Am That I Am. God's name means he will outlast anything that threatens his people. God is "He." The psalmist says in verse 4, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust," a statement that moves him from theology to personal testimony.
___What brings God's people to the experience of God's protection is not merely the theological truth that God exists, but a personal faith that says, "My God, my refuge, my fortress, in you I trust." Prayer gives us the incredible privilege of expressing this kind of faith in God.
___Questions for discussion
___ Is there anything wrong with using prayer as a security blanket?
___ How has the way you pray in times of trouble changed over the years?
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