Psalm 91

Psalm 91 is a psalm of blessing that articulates, in the most beautiful poetic way, the covenant blessings promised in Deuteronomy 28. The blessings are pronounced upon those who bring themselves under the authority of Yahweh. This authority provides a sure covering that makes the child of God invulnerable. The question is, invulnerable to what? Does this psalm promise us freedom from any and every misfortune?
It is important to read the list of misfortunes describes here in terms of the curses for disobedience promised in Deuteronomy 28-29. The psalm is saying that if we remain under the protective covering of God’s authority that we will be shielded from judgement. The invulnerability that we have under God’s protection is not a blanket guarantee against all hardship in life but a promise that God will not judge us and will not allow the evil one to thwart what God is doing in us. On the contrary the promise of Psalm 91 is that those who live under the covering of God’s authority are themselves empowered with that authority to trample the head of the serpent as foretold in Genesis 3:15.
Since we do not have the resources within ourselves to live autonomously any attempt to do so only leads to disaster. When we come out from under God’s authority we become vulnerable to the evil one who would keep us under oppression. To come back under God’s authority therefore is to be returned to a state of rest. No longer are we burdened by the onerous yoke of the oppression of the evil one and the weight of carrying our own lives. Freedom is not being without authority over us (for, as I said, we do not have the resources within ourselves to be autonomous). Freedom is having the right authority over us. God loves us infinitely and when we come under his covering he empowers us to be all that he created us to be.
As we live under God’s authority and walk in the path that he has laid out for us then we are indeed invulnerable. Though we might go through times of hardship yet these hardships will not indicate any failure in the realisation of that purpose. There is no external force that can thwart what God wants to do in us and through us. We will live the full life that God has purposed for us and nothing can take that away from us. This is the declaration of Psalm 91.
The fact is that God is saving you from all sorts of disasters all the time. We don’t notice because life goes on, but the fact that it goes on is always because of God’s protection over us. Because, if the evil one had his way, we would be pounded with disaster after disaster every day. God is protecting you more constantly than you imagine.