But you, O God, do see trouble and grief; you consider it to take it in hand. The victim commits himself to you; you are the helper of the fatherless. (Psalm 10:14)

One of the greatest promises I know is the promise of God to protect those whom come to him for refuge.  Psalm 91 is my mother’s favorite Psalm.  She knows it by heart.  Many people call my mother for prayer because they know that she knows that God will help them in their times of trouble.

Even when darkness covers the earth God’s blessing and security are upon the righteous.  Even when they are being martyred for their faith the promise of his presence being with them is secure.

When we are in God we come into union with him (2 Peter 1:4).  We are one with him in spirit.  This is a mystery of heaven.  What I want to emphasize here is only that when God and man are one where God begins and man ends is not even divisible.  There is never a time that you are not linked to God.  You and God are one.

God is your very next breath.  He is never far away.  Gordon Robertson wrote “the Hebrew word behind spirit is ‘ruach,’ and it means “air in motion.” It is the same word for “breath.” It also means “life.”  When the Holy Spirit breath is in you how close to God you really are.  You can feel him inside of you.  You can feel his comfort and his peace.

Storms might and do come but when you are in the Spirit you are always safe in his arms.  His hands fold around about you and you know that everything is going to be alright.

And as the Psalmist said, “Into your hands I commit my spirit; redeem me, O LORD, the God of truth” (Psalm 31:5).  In life and even in death I am one with him.  In fact in Christ there is no death for the believer.  The promise is that you will appear before God in paradise upon the departure of your soul from your earthly tent.

Many people fear death but in Christ such a fear lacks understanding.  Death has no bite or no sting.  God is close to the aging and the dying.  There is a grace that comes in these hours for the believer to withstand the last moments of his life.  God is there with them and they are in the shelter of the most high even then.

God’s protection is not what we imagine it to be.  His protection is greater.  He offers hope to the hopeless and strength to those with no strength.  He is the father to the fatherless and the husband to the widow.  He will never leave you nor forsake you.  He will be there all the days of your life.

What a great assurance to have as we advance toward our destiny!