Trusting in the Midst of Trouble

Trusting in the Midst of Trouble
 
Psalm 91 offers great comfort to those whose faith is in the Lord. However, if misread, one may take away from it the idea that those whose faith is in the Lord need never fear any adverse circumstances in life. In fact, this appears to be the way that Satan actually misquotes the psalm in Matthew 4:6 when he is attempting to tempt Jesus in the wilderness. In Satan’s second approach to Jesus, he invites him to throw himself down from a great height. The temptation embedded in this is that if Jesus is the Son of God, then angels will show up to rescue him, and Satan uses Psalm 91:11-12 as a proof for this.

EXCEPT Satan leaves out a key line from v.11! The full version of v.11 states that angels minister to God’s people “in all [their] ways”, but Satan does not include this phrase, and it is here that Jesus catches him. Jesus’ answer to the temptation is a quote from Deuteronomy 6:14 about testing God. Earlier in Deuteronomy 6:5 the great command is given to “love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might,” so testing him is an indication of not loving him and therefore not trusting him. So, why does Jesus quote this verse as a way of answering Satan’s misquote of Psalm 91:11?

In essence, Satan is trying to get Jesus to prove that the Father will care for him through spectacular display, but what Jesus answers is that dramatics are not needed in order for God’s people to be assured of his care for them. He cares for them “in all [their] ways.” The word “way” in the Bible’s wisdom literature is often used to talk about one’s path through life in all of its day-to-day ordinariness. This would also include the various trials and hardships we face in day-to-day life. Though there are certainly times we experience God’s rescue and deliverance in dramatic ways, more often he calls us to trust him in our daily struggles. Just because we face trials doesn’t mean that God is not our refuge. God never promises to prevent hardships but always promises us to “be with [us] in trouble” (Psalm 91:15).