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The Joy of Challenge 

One of my sons on occasion reads the Bible in Chinese.  When I ask him why, he tells me it slows him down and helps him ponder over God’s Word.

Ron, the initiator behind word-of-prayer, also reads the Bible at times in Hebrew and in Greek.

I on the other hand, go as far as reading the Bible in various English translations.

Do you try to read the Bible in various languages and translations?

I’m not advocating a strict pathway to access God’s instruction and revelation to us but I do see the value in opening up the Lord’s word through fresh avenues.

And that is how these series of Psalm 91 digital and framed products came about.

A few years ago, while going through a sticky health challenge, someone told me that Psalm 91 is quite commonly known as the “soldier’s psalm”.

Curious, I dug deeper to find out why. 

I then discovered that many soldiers in WWI recited this psalm daily.

I’ve never been asked to participate in a war.  Neither do I need to flee my home country and seek refuge in another.

I have however desired refuge and God’s peaceful sanctuary has certainly been something I have received unmerited. 

Perhaps it is within those reasons that I spent a number of hours both laboriously and happily on these designs and making them available online for purchase. 

Psalm 91 (KJV – King James Version)

He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High

shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress:

my God; in him will I trust.

Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler,

and from the noisome pestilence.

He shall cover thee with his feathers,

and under his wings shalt thou trust:

his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.

Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night;

nor for the arrow that flieth by day;

Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness;

nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.

A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand;

but it shall not come nigh thee.

Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.

Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;

There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.

For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.

They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.

Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder:

the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.

Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him:

I will set him on high,

because he hath known my name.

He shall call upon me, and I will answer him:

I will be with him in trouble;

I will deliver him, and honour him.

With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.

The King James version is old, over 400 years old.  Its archaic language feels restrictive and its sentence construction requires one to slow down and read it carefully.

Yet as late as 2014, a major study on “The Bible in American Life” found that 55 percent of Bible readers said they reached most often for the King James Version.  (Read source here.)

As for me, even though the execution details were a pain, I enjoyed quite a bit of  heaven working on this entire series. 

The cadence of the words, trying to detect any subterfuge that might come from the hands and minds of men and then surrendering to the truth and gravity of His promises – the entire creation exercise left me with a deep satisfying relish when I was done with it.   

It’s been a while since ..

I looked and paid attention to Psalm 91.  The last time before this creative exercise was when Ron did a bible teaching podcast on it in 2020.   You can listen to his teaching and share on Psalm 91 here.

This past Sunday at church ..

I heard the reminder and mention of Psalm 91 again.  

Psalm 91 (NIV – New International Version)

¹ Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
    will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
² I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
    my God, in whom I trust.”

³ Surely he will save you
    from the fowler’s snare
    and from the deadly pestilence.
⁴ He will cover you with his feathers,
    and under his wings you will find refuge;
    his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
⁵ You will not fear the terror of night,
    nor the arrow that flies by day,
⁶ nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
    nor the plague that destroys at midday.
⁷ A thousand may fall at your side,
    ten thousand at your right hand,
    but it will not come near you.
⁸ You will only observe with your eyes
    and see the punishment of the wicked.

⁹ If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,”
    and you make the Most High your dwelling,
¹⁰ no harm will overtake you,
    no disaster will come near your tent.
¹¹ For he will command his angels concerning you
    to guard you in all your ways;
¹² they will lift you up in their hands,
    so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
¹³ You will tread on the lion and the cobra;
    you will trample the great lion and the serpent.

¹⁴ “Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him;
    I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
¹⁵ He will call on me, and I will answer him;
    I will be with him in trouble,
    I will deliver him and honor him.
¹⁶ With long life I will satisfy him
    and show him my salvation.

It’s another beautiful version, isn’t it?

It’s a version I intend to dwell more upon after I post this blog.

Until the next time,

Blessings to you as you seek God’s face,

Angela 

PS. Find digital prints on our Etsy shop here

and framed products on our website here