Tuesday

 Tuesday Fellowship: 
8 Jul 2025 at 11am, in Plaza Hall.
Speaker: Dr Lim K Tham
He was General Secretary of the National Council of Churches of Singapore, Bible Society of Singapore, Member of Presidential Council on Religious Harmony, CEO of Care Corner, Singapore. His PhD is in Systematic Theology from University of Edinburgh, UK.

To register, text your name to 9178 9338/9484 6652.

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Psalm 91

Psalm 91 gives complete assurance of God’s Protection and Victory, bringing comfort, encouragement and peace in life’s difficult circumstances.
However,
it is fully applicable only to:

• Those who dwell (abide) in the shelter of the Most High. (v1,9)
• Those who put their trust in the Lord God. (v2)
• Those who love the Lord God. (v14)

1. Personal Faith in God: (1,2) The Hidden Life

   Whoever (each individual) dwells (remains, lives with permanence...not occasional visits!) in the shelter (secret place!) of the Most High, will
   rest in the shadow of the Almighty. This implies an intimate relationship with God! He is so near that His shadow covers you, and nothing can reach you without passing through Him first. I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust”. The believer’s
   proclamation (“my”) is a statement of her/his trust in God, who is characterised by: (1,2)

   The 4 Names of God:
   Most High (Elyon: Supreme, Sovereign);
   Almighty (El Shaddai: Powerful, All-sufficient);
   LORD (Jehovah: Faithful, Covenant relationship with us);
   God (Elohim: Creator, Plural: Father, Son, Spirit).

2. Confidence in Deliverance: (3,4) The Protected Life
   Surely (Certainly!) God will save you from the fowler’s snare (bird hunter’s hidden traps: eg. scammers, disloyal/greedy relationships) and from the deadly pestilence. (eg. evident danger of SARS, COVID-19 pandemics)
   He will cover you with his feathers and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. The powerful Creator of the universe extends his tender, parental protection over you. (Jesus said: “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem,...How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings....”) (Matt 23:37)
   God’s faithfulness will provide complete protection for the whole body like a shield and the defensive wall of a city.
   NB: This Psalm does not promise universal protection for all believers, in this fallen world, because they may be infected by epidemics/afflicted by suffering. The promise is not security “from”, but “in” any affliction. (Rom 8:28) However, the believers who abide within the will of God are “immortal” and will be preserved/kept safe, until their task on Earth is done.
   
   
3. Result of God’s Protection: (5,6)
   Those who abide will not fear:
   1. The terror of night (eg anxious thoughts, burglary, spiritual attacks...)
   2. The arrow that flies by day (eg. bad news, slander, bullying...)
   3. The pestilence that stalks in the darkness (eg. hidden infectious agents...)
   4. The plague that destroys at midday (eg. visible ravages of epidemics...)
   NB: God’s protection extends over the believers all the time, over your bodies, mind, spirit! (ie. night/day/darkness/midday).
   
   
4. Assurance for Believers: (7,8)
   Though 1,000 may fall at your side and 10,000 at your right hand, but it will not come near you. In extremely risky situations, the believers are under the wings of the Almighty. He will protect them in accordance with His will and purposes. They come under the cover of Jesus’ blood and redemption.
   You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked. (eg. The Israelites saw the destruction of the Egyptian firstborn while their firstborn were spared during the Passover, because of the blood of the lamb on their doorposts and lintels. They also saw the destruction of the Egyptian army in the Red Sea, while they remained safe. (Exod 12,14)
   
   
5. Reiteration of Promise of Deliverance and Victory: (9-13)
   IF:
   1. You say: “ The Lord is my refuge” and
   2. You make the Most High your dwelling. (Home! Not “hotel”!)(cf. v1)
   Promise:
   1. No harm will overtake you (ie. no evil will befall you)
   2. No disaster will come near your tent. (home, family, will be safe)
   “No” indicates total/absolute safety. They are safe because of God’s Presence!
   Reason:
   3. He will command his angels, to guard you in all your ways.(v11)*
   4. They will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.(v12)*
   *These 2 verses (11,12) were quoted by Satan to tempt Jesus to throw himself down from the pinnacle of the Temple. (Matt 4:6) However, Jesus replied: “You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.” (Deu 6:16), because God had not told Jesus to do so!*Elisha prayed and his servant’s eyes were opened to see the chariots of fire upon the hills, protecting Elisha from the Syrian army. (2 Kings 6:17)
   5. You will trample on the lion(strong) and cobras/serpents (subtle). (You will be victorious over the lion/snakes which symbolise Satan.)
      
      
6. Blessings for Those Who Love God (14-16) The Fulfilled Life
   Because she/he loves Me (clings to Me!) says the Lord: (God speaking!)
   1. I will rescue her/him (God will act to deliver us from every oppression/mental health issue/illness/spiritual attack...)
   2. I will protect her/him, for he/she acknowledges My Name. (God will protect us because of our allegiance to God/obedient lives. We may be unaware of incidences when He intervened to protect us!)
   3. She/he will call on Me, and I will answer her/him. (Answered prayer!)
   4. I will be with her/him in trouble. (God’s Presence!) (God will not leave you at your point of need/in your pain!)
   5. I will deliver her/him and honour her/him. (God will raise you up/vindicate/glorify you, His child/Jesus’ co-heir!) Those who share in Christ’s suffering, will also share in his inheritance. (John 1:12/Rom 8:17)
   6. With long life I will satisfy her/him and show her/him My salvation. (eg. Abraham lived to a “good old age” and “full of years”- a fulfilled life, seen many descendants.)(Gen 25:8) Those who abide in God, will experience His Goodness, live within His Purposes, be blessed with Promises that extend to the Future. Salvation includes healing of body, mind, spirit, a transformed life, filled with His peace, and emotional/mental/ physical well-being. The Victorious Reign of God confers Healing Eternally!
      NB: 3 conditions: (1) Loves Me, (2) Acknowledges My Name: Lives obediently, (3) Calls on Me (Prays!).

Q1: Are you “dwelling” in the secret place daily or just visiting occasionally?

Q2. Are you seeking security in other things, and not in God alone? (eg. money, investments, education, human relationships, migration...)

Q3. Are there any fears you would like to commit in faith, to the Almighty?

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“The Eternal God is Thy Refuge
and
underneath are the Everlasting Arms.”

Deuteronomy 33:27

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Saturday

 

WSCS Bible Study (Sat) Group

“Psalms of Prayer and Praise!”
The Psalms is the most often quoted OT book in the New Testament. It is much loved because it expresses a wide range of human emotions and life experiences, which all readers can identify with. It also reminds us to trust God who is loving, faithful and sovereign over human affairs, history, nations and creation.

Next Meeting: 28 Jun 2025 at 2pm (online)
The WSCS Bible Study (Sat) Group “meets” on the 2nd and 4th Saturdays of the month.

We study Holy Scripture to know God better, and gain a better understanding of His work in the world and His ways. In the process, we encourage one another along our personal pilgrimage.

We welcome ladies of all ages! (online)