“He will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence” (Ps 91:3).
Although we are undoubtedly safe under the wings of our Father and Jesus watches over His own, as the Gospel of John assures us (17:12), our life is still surrounded by dangers. Not for nothing does Scripture warn us that “the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking some one to devour” (1 Pet 5:8). Therefore, we must be vigilant in every way, lest we fall into the snares and traps that the enemy of our souls sets around us. But as we know, it is not only the devil who puts us in danger, but also our flesh and the world. Therefore, we must restrain our desires lest we fall into addictions, and remain vigilant lest we succumb to the seductive pleasures and vanities of this world.
However vigilant we are, we may not be quick enough to recognise the wiles of our enemies and deal with them accordingly. It is then that we become aware of how often our Father has intervened on our behalf to save us from being swallowed up and has given us a way out, sometimes at the last moment. Surely we could all testify to such experiences. We should never forget to thank the Lord for watching over us so carefully.
The words of Psalm 91, on the one hand, remind us that we have a powerful and reliable protector in our Father, who even places an angel at our side to watch over us. On the other hand, they remind us that there are indeed powers that want to bring us into disgrace. This warning helps us not to be naively lulled into a false sense of security, unaware of the dangers around us, but to be realistic about the battle that has been entrusted to us, trusting in our Father.