A Satisfied Life

It reads like a Hollywood thriller:

Terror at night . . . armies attacking . . . a stalking enemy . . . plagues . . . pestilence . . . wild animals . . . 

Those are all descriptors found in Psalm 91 of the dangers you and I face in this world. It paints a pretty bleak picture! In fact, if reading merely from the perspective of what you are up against, you are liable to throw in the towel! After all, who can possibly survive one of those things, much less all of them?

Maybe more to the point, who would want to? How is the life described above—one marked with constant danger, fear, and trepidation—worth living?

You have almost surely asked yourself some form of that question at least once in your life. Psychologically, it is a rather normal part of the human condition to look around and consider all that could go wrong, and in some cases even what probably will go wrong. It can be extremely disorienting, and it can leave you paralyzed with fear.

That is exactly what the enemy wants, and it is why he is desperate to keep you focused on the terror and the enemies and the pestilence. If he can keep your attention on those things, he wins because he can keep you in a state of worry and anxiety. In essence, he can keep you in neutral. You see, the enemy of your soul doesn’t have to take you out to accomplish his mission. He just has to keep you occupied and on the sideline.

He has no power to actually defeat you, but if he can keep you occupied with all the lesser powers this world will throw against you, he can keep you from reading the second part of your story—the part that makes Psalm 91 so familiar to you:

Rest . . . refuge . . . fortress . . . saving . . . covering . . . shield . . . protection . . . no harm or disaster . . . angelic protection . . . God’s presence and protection in times of trouble . . . a long life . . . salvation.

My friend, those are the attributes of your story with real power! Those are the things that should command your attention and that will win out in the end, even in the face of worldly adversity. Those are the things that will mark your life if you will turn your attention to them, because they have the power to overcome all the wiles of the enemy (Eph. 6:11).

It is a simple truth for you today. The enemy would have you read only half the story. If you do, you will encounter a half-truth of danger and fear that you cannot overcome on your own. But if you will keep reading, the second half of the story changes everything—not because the first half is untrue, but because it is wholly overcome by the overwhelming strength and power of the One embodied in the second half!

There is one word that speaks volumes in the last verse of the chapter: satisfy.

“With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation” (Ps. 91:16).

My friend, God has promised you His presence. He presence provides you with salvation and security. But it also gives you a third gift that is easy to miss. If you will turn your attention from all that is set against you and fixate instead on the rest and refuge of the almighty God, His presence will also leave you fully satisfied.

And in the presence of a satisfied Jesus follower, the enemy—and all his lies and tactics—has no choice but to flee!

The following article originally appeared in Thann’s “The Equipped” Weekly Newsletter. For more information on Thann’s weekly email, click here.