Promises - Psalm 91:4
Part of Under His Wings—2025

Promises - Psalm 91:4

February 9, 2025


Promise: declaration assuring one will or will not do something; indication of something favorable to come; expectation; indication of future excellence or success; to commit oneself to do…


how well do you keep your promises…
1. Women – keep more than 50% of time… blame finances for not keeping a promise.
2. Men – keep only 25% of time… blame lack of time, forgetfulness for breaking promise.
3. Individuals – between 25-50% would break a promise to achieve a higher gain.
4. Business – consumers indicate businesses break multiple promises 54% of the time.


our words aren’t often promises… God’s words always are… all God has to do is speak and you can count on something favorable to come…
Gen 1:3 YLT… “and God saith… let light be… and light is…”
Num 23:19… “does God speak and not act… or promise and not fulfill…”
Josh 23:14… “none of the good promises God made to you has failed… not one…”
Neh 9:8… “You have fulfilled Your promise… because You are righteous…”
Psa 119:162… “I rejoice over Your promise like one who finds vast treasure…”
Psa 138:2… “You have exalted Your name and Your promise above everything…”
dabar/imra… speak, declare, command, promise, sing; speech, word; word of God…
Rom 4:13-25… “promise is by faith… according to grace… as a guarantee…”
2Cor 1:20… “all of God’s promises are Yes in Christ… that is why we say amen…”
Gal 3:15-18… “law, which came 430 years later… does not cancel the promise…”
Heb 6:13-20… “God made a promise… swore by Himself… impossible to lie…”
epangelia… promised blessing; divine assurance of good; engage to do something…


great to be rescued from trap of enemy… but there’s something better… walking consistently in the promises of God’s divine protection…
Psa 91:4… “He will cover you with His feathers… He will shelter you with His wings… His faithful promises are your armor and protection…”
NIV… “cover you with feathers… under His wings find refuge… His faithfulness a shield…”
MSG… “His huge, outstretched arms protect you… are perfectly safe… fend off all harm…”


this is the Ark of the Covenant… ark was most holy piece of furniture in Holy of Holies… covered and protected by feathers and wings… made of incorruptible acacia wood… overlaid with gold… symbol of Christ… lid was mercy seat…
Exo 16:33-34… “two quarts of manna… put in sacred place… placed in ark…”
Heb 9:3-5… “most holy place… ark of the covenant containing manna… Aaron’s
staff… stone tablets of covenant… cherubim wings stretched out over the ark…”
symbols of man’s rebellion… rejection of God’s provision, leadership, holy standards…


what did God do with man’s sin… covered them with mercy… secret place of protection is His mercy, grace, and favor… that’s where you meet Him… not gsc…
Exo 25:16-22… “make mercy seat… cover ark… meet, speak with you above mercy seat…”
Hos 6:6… “desire mercy, not sacrifice… knowledge of God more than offerings…”
James 2:12-13… “judged by law of freedom… mercy triumphs over judgment…”


ark of covenant was just a shadow… blood of bulls and goats just covered sin… blood of Jesus Christ completely removes it… He is the reality of the shadow…
Lev 16:13-19… “sprinkle blood on mercy seat… make atonement for sins…”
John 1:29… “look, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world…”
Heb 9:11-28… “by His own blood… offered once… removal of sin by Himself…”
Col 2:17… “these rules are only a shadow… Christ Himself is the reality…”
1John 2:2… “He Himself… is the sacrifice for sins… and sins of whole world…”


our hope, confidence, assurance of protection is found in substance, not shadow…
John 20:11-18… “Mary stood outside the tomb, crying… as she looked into the tomb, she saw two angels where Jesus had been lying… at the head and feet…”
Rom 1:16-17… “gospel is power of salvation to all who believe…”
1Cor 1:18… “word of the cross is… power of God to those of us being saved…”
soteria/sozo… preservation, safety, salvation; deliverance from molestation of enemies; keep safe, rescue from danger or destruction; make well, heal, restore to health…


protection is a blessing… but it is also a choice… Jesus will not force anything upon you… not salvation, not blessings, not protection… entirely up to you…
Ruth 2… “will you let me go and find favor… she happened to be in the field belonging to Boaz… why have I found favor with you… Boaz said, may the Lord reward you and may you receive a full reward from the Lord, under whose wings you have come for refuge…”
Luke 13:34-35… “how I wanted to gather your children… as a hen gathers chicks under her wings… but you were not willing… house is deprived of protection…”
Luke 19:41-44… “as He approached the city, He wept… how I wish you would understand the way to peace, now it is too late, your enemies will close in on you from every side… because you did not accept your opportunity for salvation…”
Heb 4:16… “approach throne of grace… receive mercy and grace… to help us…”


sounds like NY mafia… how much do I have to pay for this protection…
Rom 4… “fully convinced that what God had promised, He was also able to do…”
Rom 8:17-32… “co-heirs with Christ… God has… freely given us all things…”
1Cor 2:12… “received HS… understand what has been freely given to us by God…”


not just about repeating words like a robot… Psalm 91 is about a deep intimate relationship with a God who loves you… who desires to bless and protect you… it’s about being so close you’re in His shadow… declaring promises that have been driven deep into your heart… knowing He provides a key for every trap…
Psa 91:1-3… “one who lives in shelter of the Most High will find rest in shadow of the Almighty… this I will declare about the Lord, He alone is my place of safety… surely He will rescue you from every trap, protect from deadly disease…”


last part of v4 shows us the depth and completeness of God’s protection… a buckler is for close contact hand-to-hand fighting… shield is for large assaults… no matter what battles you fight… His truth is the armor that protects you…
Psa 91:4… “His faithful promises are your armor and protection…”
NKJV… “His truth shall be your shield and buckler…”
YLT… “a shield and buckler is His truth…”
Eph 6:16… “in all situations take up shield of faith… stop fiery arrows of devil…”


devil wants to destroy your shield… wants you to doubt God’s promises… shield of faith grows stronger as you continue to listen to messages about Jesus…
Rom 10:14-17… “how can they believe without hearing about Him… how can they hear without a preacher… faith comes by hearing… hearing Good News about Christ…”
Gal 3:5… “miracles… because you believe the message you heard about Christ…”
2Pet 1:3-4… “thru knowledge of Him… great promises… to escape evil world…”