Psalms are endless encouragement and so beautiful! We are going to draw Psalm 91, the first eight verses, although it’s quite hard to find a stopping place, so if this motivates you, keep going! Maybe we can memorize the whole chapter!
Memorizing scripture with pictures gives you and your children an experience with the text, a visual representation of the scripture reference that not only aids in memory, but an understanding of the text, new vocabulary, historical concepts, drawing techniques, and much more, as you will see as we go through verse 1.
Psalm 91
1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.[a]
2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.”
3 Surely he will save you
from the fowler’s snare
and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with his feathers,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
5 You will not fear the terror of night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,
6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
nor the plague that destroys at midday.
7 A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.
8 You will only observe with your eyes
and see the punishment of the wicked.
The first thing we see in verse 1, is “he who dwells”, which seems to indicate this situation is open to anyone.
It could say, “the Israelites who dwell”, or “the Gentiles who dwell”, or “the men who dwell”, but the indication is that anyone could “dwell”. This makes sense:
John 3:16
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Are you dwelling with God? Staying close to him, walking with him, conversing with him? Are you training your children to dwell with him? This will be a terrific conversation to have!
Next, we learn the Most High (God) is a shelter! Fascinating! Here is a definition of “shelter” from Bing:
A shelter is a small building or covered place which is made to protect people from bad weather or danger.
Ah! The use of the word “shelter” tells us that we are being protected from something…perhaps the enemy, whose plan is to steal, kill, and destroy?! Jesus knew we would face lots of difficulties in life, but he is the solution!
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
So far we have learned we are going to have troubles, but anyone who desires can have protection from God! Cool!
We’ve also seen that God is “the Most High”, and no one is above him, before him, beyond him, and no one can bypass him! The buck stops with the one true God:
Exodus 3:14
14 God said to Moses, “I am who I am.[a] This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I am has sent me to you.’”
Isn’t this awesome? God tells Moses to simply say “I am” sent him. He is not a god of the Canaanites or any other pagan religion.
When I hear him refer to himself in this way, it’s as if he is saying, “My existence is eternal and perpetual and I need no name. I am not like you. I am.” He is truly the Most High!
Now we move on to see that those who are dwelling in the shelter of the Most High, will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
Look at this definition of rest:
cease work or movement in order to relax, refresh oneself, or recover strength
So the implication is something came before our rest that was strenuous. Well, that is certainly life when you try and do it on your own! Without God, it is like trying to get to work in your car but it is out of fuel.
Everything seems to be in order, but under the hood where it isn’t visible from the outside, there just isn’t anything to make us “go”.
Sure, we can try and force it along, and many people do that for a lifetime. They run alongside the car pushing it, never realizing if they just filled up the tank, the car would start up and their life would be completely different.
The car would still need tune-ups, and accidents can happen, but with a full tank of gas, you can get anywhere! Now think about how wonderful “rest” would be after a lifetime of pushing a car around! Whoa!
Resting in the shadow of the Almighty, to me, has a double meaning.
In his shadow we are hidden, so close that his shadow is cast on us, disguising us from predators who would catch us easily if we were out in the open, unprotected. Here on earth, we are in his shadow, but in heaven, we will see him face to face!
1 Corinthians 13:12
12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
All men can live in the peace of God, who is exceeded by no one, and rest from trials here on earth in his protection until we see him face to face in heaven.
Just remember, to dwell in someone’s shelter, you must know them. You wouldn’t go up to a stranger’s house and knock on the door and expect them to let you come in and live!
In the same way, to dwell with God you must know him. This doesn’t simply mean recognize who he is, even Satan can do that! It means knowing you are a sinner in need of a Savior, and that Savior is Jesus Christ the Lord, Son of the Almighty, Most High, the great I Am.
Let’s look one more time at John 3:16-
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
He loved you so much he gave his son to die for you and be your substitute on the cross. That’s pretty big love!
The best part is all you have to do is accept this truth, which is a free gift. When it resonates with you, talk to God.
This is a gift you can’t earn. That’s not how it works.
You can accept the gift or not, but you can’t earn it.
Believe it or not, while we were still sinners, Christ died for us! (Romans 5:8)
Tell God what’s in your heart and you want to grow in love for him and walk with him each day, and he will show you how, and adopt you into his family!
2 Corinthians 6:18
“And, I will be a Father to you,
and you will be my sons and daughters,
says the Lord Almighty.”[a]
I encourage you to read the whole chapter of any of the verses quoted here as they give so much more context and depth. I’m sure you will have lots of thoughts and insights about what they mean to you in the season you’re in.
As you process this verse and explain what you are drawing to your children, you can introduce these concepts and ask them what they think.
Engage in dialogue with them at whatever level they are at and help draw insights out of them. Build up and encourage those interpretive muscles and you won’t believe how quickly they begin to have a foundation and understanding of our God!
Here is the video of how to draw Psalm 91:1 for memory~ enjoy!