Old Testament Scripture Reading: Psalms 91:1 – 11 (KJV)
Psa 91:1 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
Psa 91:2 I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.
Psa 91:3 Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.
Psa 91:4 He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.
Psa 91:5 Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;
Psa 91:6 Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.
Psa 91:7 A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.
Psa 91:8 Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.
Psa 91:9 Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;
Psa 91:10 There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.
Psa 91:11 For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.
New Testament Scripture Reading: James 5:13 – 16 (KJV)
Jas 5:13 Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms.
Jas 5:14 Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:
Jas 5:15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.
Jas 5:16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
Transforming Power Statements:
1) Using the promises of Psalms 91 as an example,(but also with every other word that has proceeded out of the mouth of God) we must hold an immeasurably higher place in our minds that is far more your focus than any other news, speculations, or even hard realities that exist because it is the very counsel of the Most High God, which cannot be altered and shall not fail, no matter how dire the situation seems.
2) One of the most serious positions to cultivate and maintain in our spiritual lives, is learning to remain in faith by believing God’s promises as written that they are sure and cannot be altered by anything no matter how many others may doubt, defy, or oppose what thus saith the LORD!
3) James teaches us the Godly reactions that we must employ when there is “bad news”; we must maintain that God’s WORD is “Good News” and therefore, His Word shall ultimately prevail for the ones who believe it, and apply it, regardless of what is blowing around in the defective faithless fallen views of unbelievers.