A viral video posted to social media contended to share the “most powerful Psalm in the Bible,” garnering thousands of views and even comments how it was this one specifically that “carried me all these years.” Psalm 91, which speaks of God as a refuge for all fears and evils who will protect us. With God’ eternal love, there is nothing that can harm us or quest that cannot be fulfilled.
For context, the exact historical author of Psalm 91 is unknown. While King David has been attributed as the author to at least 73 of the 150 Psalms in the Old Testament – a full half – Psalm 91 remains up in the air. It is posited that either King David also penned this one or perhaps Moses as well, who is credited with the previous one, Psalm 90.
Additionally, The New International Version (NIV) of the Bible, from which the following verses are borrowed, was first published in 1978 and relied on traditional sources while also seeking to maximize what is considered “readability.” This comes in stark contrast to the King James version, which while perhaps more authentic, presents barriers to accessibility to the lay Christian. The NIV has sold over 500 million copies since that initial publication and boasts being the best-selling version of the Bible in the United States.
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.”
Watch the viral video of the Psalm put into words, visuals, and music below:
Comments on Facebook, where the video was posted, were near-unanimous in their adulation and praise. Repeated comments saying “Amen” peppered the comment section and one user went so far as to note that “Psalm 91 is the one that had carried me all these years.” Many other people shared thumbs up, praying hands emojis, and repeated shout outs of “Bless the Lord.”