Sermon Recap: Let Your Hearts Not Be Troubled (Part 2)
Group Leader Discussion Guide
Read: Psalm 91
Group Questions:
In reading Psalm 91:5-13 and what we know about Moses, what are some of the challenges you believe he may have experienced?
In what ways are the challenges we face today similar to those of Moses?
In what ways have we been the “architects of our own calamities”?
Describes what it feels like to know that God “covers us with His feathers” and gives “refuge under His wings.”
Describe what comes to mind when you hear that God “is a fierce warrior who commands the army of heaven”?
When you go through uncertainty and adversity, what are some of the promises of God that you declare?
In addition to reading Scripture, what are ways we can feed our hearts and dwell in the secret place of the Most High?
Sermon Recap:
When we hear of the hard times that others have gone through, we are often disconnected from the depth of their adversity, their emotional reality or the cost of their humanity. We fail to fully understand that they were real people with real threats and fears, and that they experienced real consequences. One biblical example of this is Moses, the man God called to lead Israel out of Egypt. For 45 years, all Moses knew was adversity and a constant threat of one thing or another. When he wrote Psalm 91, he was speaking from personal experience of what he had encountered in his own life and what God had done for him.
Psalm 91: 5-13 speaks of some of the challenges Moses faced. Our dangers today may look different (terrorist attacks, wars, diseases such as COVID-19), yet they are our realities and are as devastating as the ones described in the Psalm. However, two things remain the same: (1) In our humanity, such calamities bring fear, anxiety and uncertainty; (2) Yet our God is never changing. The timeless, ageless God that saved, sheltered, and delivered His people then, is the same God that saves, shelters, and delivers His people now. God does not promise to fix our problems. His promise is to protect and keep us in the midst of it all.
In Psalm 91:1-4, God doubles his promises as a way of emphasizing His certainty. He is the “Most High” God and the God “Almighty.” He reminds us that He is the creator of heaven and earth and the owner of all. He is not threatened by what is happening, but is supreme over it all. When He speaks of “covering us with His feathers” and giving “refuge under His wings,” He likens Himself to the most protective mother hen who would die to protect her chicks. When He speaks of being our “shield and armor,” he is describing Himself as a fierce warrior who commands the army of heaven.
God’s promises are not meant for everyone, but are conditional. They are for those who “dwell” and “abide” in His sacred presence. That is, those who continue to be present and in proximity to Him. According to John 15:7, the place of abiding is in the Word of God. Protection is in the truth of His faithful promises. If we read the Word, it becomes our “shield and armor.”
In Psalm 91:1-2, the writer states, “I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress.” We are reminded that what we say is important. What we believe on the inside is what comes out of our mouths and is based on what we have been feeding our heart. God’s promises need to become the heartbeat of our lives so we can declare what He says.
In Psalm 91:14-15, God promises that He will answer when we call upon Him. He gives us this reassurance because He loves us. When we love and honor Him, we dwell in that secret place, and when we pray to Him, He will answer. We can confess our uncertainties and concerns. We may not know the future, but no matter what happens we can run to that secret place and call upon Him, the Almighty God who is in control of everything and promises to be with us.