This year, 2026, or as I like to call it, the Hebrew year 5786, will be a year of divine protection. I need to add a caution to that statement. Many times, when people hear such a claim, they expect God to do everything while they accept no responsibility at all. When God makes a promise, that does not mean that He does not expect us to do anything. We need to work with Him to assure our protection.
Those of you who are parents know that you have a responsibility to protect your children. You give them reasonable guidelines that you expect them to follow to assure their safety. For instance, one of your rules may be that when they are outside, they don’t go into the street or across it. The obvious reason for this is to keep them safe from vehicle traffic that may put them at risk.
Here is an example from the Bible. Psalm 91 has a definite connection to this new year. Verses 1-2 say: “He who dwells in the shelter 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 whom I trust.”
In order for you to experience the protection that God promised to provide, there is something you must do. I want to focus on two words from the first verse: dwells and abide.
The word dwells is a form of the Hebrew word yashab, which describes an ongoing state of living. In other words, those who dwell do not just come for a visit—they come to stay permanently. This is important, because there are those who only depend upon God’s protection when they find themselves in trouble. They call upon Him in desperation when everything is going wrong, and then they go back to living their own way, giving Him no thought when the crisis is past.
I do not mean to imply that believers can never take risks in accomplishing the will of God. Nobody needs to stay in bed or sit on the sofa all day just so that nothing bad will happen to them. As a heavyweight champion boxer of a previous generation said, “The world is a place where you live, not a basement where you hide.” Believers need to engage in the marketplace to do God’s will, and to be the salt and light God expects them to be.
What I am talking about is going places you should not go, doing things you should not do, seeing things you should not see, and spending time fellowshipping with people who are habitually involved in ungodly behaviors. When we dwell in the shelter of the Lord, we remain under His protection, regardless of what it is He asks us to do.
The next term, abide, is from a Hebrew word meaning to lodge, to spend the night, or to remain. The place we are to remain, according to Psalm 91, is under the shadow of the Almighty. I have two thoughts about this.
The first is this: people tend to sleep best in the safest places. This makes perfect sense, because when you are sleeping, you are not aware of things you would know about when you are awake. Some people sleep more soundly than others, of course. Some people can sleep anywhere, regardless of the activity around them. However, for the most part, people seek a place to sleep that is quiet, dark, and removed from ordinary activity.
The psalmist says that we can abide under God’s shadow. This is the safest place anyone could possibly find, and rest should come easily in such a place of refuge. Could it be that the reason some believers are constantly stressed and depleted is that they find themselves far from the protection that God promised to give them? We no doubt must venture out into the world to fulfill our God-given purpose, but let us always return to the place of safety God has promised to provide.
The other thought about this phrase is the term under the shadow. This indicates nearness, or proximity to God. In order for someone’s shadow to fall on you means you must be near them. Once again, this is the absolute safest and most secure place for a believer to be. God’s presence is not only enough to provide for our security, it is also enough to intimidate any adversary who may think about threatening us when we are under His protection.
There is one more principle I want to mention about Psalm 91:2: “I will say of the Lord….” Once again, we see the principle of cooperating with God in order to experience all He has so graciously provided for us.
I believe that Psalm 91 is the greatest protection proclamation in all the word of God. Here is the condition: you have to say something. It is not enough just to read it, or agree with it, or give your mental assent to it. Faith requires action. The action you must take, according to Psalm 91:2, is to say something. What should you say? The remainder of the verse spells it out: you say, “…He is my refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust.”
I do not have time to go into all the aspects of why what we say is important, but I do want to mention this one: your words, when spoken in faith, carry authority. You exercise your legitimate, God-given authority when you speak words that are energized and activated by faith in what God has said.
In this case, when you say God is your refuge, your fortress, and your God, you establish those truths in your life. In addition, your ears hear what your mouth is saying, which reinforces the reality of the truth in your daily experience. That is of vital importance, because the circumstances of life and the forces of darkness will do all they can to convince you that something other than what God’s word says is true. You need continual reminders of the reality of God’s truth at work in your life. One of the best ways to provide those reminders is by hearing yourself speak the truth, even in, or I should say especially in difficult situations.
I encourage you to declare and decree the truths of Psalm 91:1-2 on a daily basis. When you say what you believe, it becomes a reality in your life. This involves application of the principles of the word of God in order to make them an everyday reality.
The year 2026 (5786) is filled with possibilities. Let God know you agree that He is your refuge, your fortress, and your God. I believe you will experience a degree of power, peace, protection, and provision that you have never known before.
Yours for the Harvest,
Dr. Rod Parsley
Founder & General Overseer
Those of you who are parents know that you have a responsibility to protect your children. You give them reasonable guidelines that you expect them to follow to assure their safety. For instance, one of your rules may be that when they are outside, they don’t go into the street or across it. The obvious reason for this is to keep them safe from vehicle traffic that may put them at risk.
Here is an example from the Bible. Psalm 91 has a definite connection to this new year. Verses 1-2 say: “He who dwells in the shelter 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 whom I trust.”
In order for you to experience the protection that God promised to provide, there is something you must do. I want to focus on two words from the first verse: dwells and abide.
The word dwells is a form of the Hebrew word yashab, which describes an ongoing state of living. In other words, those who dwell do not just come for a visit—they come to stay permanently. This is important, because there are those who only depend upon God’s protection when they find themselves in trouble. They call upon Him in desperation when everything is going wrong, and then they go back to living their own way, giving Him no thought when the crisis is past.
I do not mean to imply that believers can never take risks in accomplishing the will of God. Nobody needs to stay in bed or sit on the sofa all day just so that nothing bad will happen to them. As a heavyweight champion boxer of a previous generation said, “The world is a place where you live, not a basement where you hide.” Believers need to engage in the marketplace to do God’s will, and to be the salt and light God expects them to be.
What I am talking about is going places you should not go, doing things you should not do, seeing things you should not see, and spending time fellowshipping with people who are habitually involved in ungodly behaviors. When we dwell in the shelter of the Lord, we remain under His protection, regardless of what it is He asks us to do.
The next term, abide, is from a Hebrew word meaning to lodge, to spend the night, or to remain. The place we are to remain, according to Psalm 91, is under the shadow of the Almighty. I have two thoughts about this.
The first is this: people tend to sleep best in the safest places. This makes perfect sense, because when you are sleeping, you are not aware of things you would know about when you are awake. Some people sleep more soundly than others, of course. Some people can sleep anywhere, regardless of the activity around them. However, for the most part, people seek a place to sleep that is quiet, dark, and removed from ordinary activity.
The psalmist says that we can abide under God’s shadow. This is the safest place anyone could possibly find, and rest should come easily in such a place of refuge. Could it be that the reason some believers are constantly stressed and depleted is that they find themselves far from the protection that God promised to give them? We no doubt must venture out into the world to fulfill our God-given purpose, but let us always return to the place of safety God has promised to provide.
The other thought about this phrase is the term under the shadow. This indicates nearness, or proximity to God. In order for someone’s shadow to fall on you means you must be near them. Once again, this is the absolute safest and most secure place for a believer to be. God’s presence is not only enough to provide for our security, it is also enough to intimidate any adversary who may think about threatening us when we are under His protection.
There is one more principle I want to mention about Psalm 91:2: “I will say of the Lord….” Once again, we see the principle of cooperating with God in order to experience all He has so graciously provided for us.
I believe that Psalm 91 is the greatest protection proclamation in all the word of God. Here is the condition: you have to say something. It is not enough just to read it, or agree with it, or give your mental assent to it. Faith requires action. The action you must take, according to Psalm 91:2, is to say something. What should you say? The remainder of the verse spells it out: you say, “…He is my refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust.”
I do not have time to go into all the aspects of why what we say is important, but I do want to mention this one: your words, when spoken in faith, carry authority. You exercise your legitimate, God-given authority when you speak words that are energized and activated by faith in what God has said.
In this case, when you say God is your refuge, your fortress, and your God, you establish those truths in your life. In addition, your ears hear what your mouth is saying, which reinforces the reality of the truth in your daily experience. That is of vital importance, because the circumstances of life and the forces of darkness will do all they can to convince you that something other than what God’s word says is true. You need continual reminders of the reality of God’s truth at work in your life. One of the best ways to provide those reminders is by hearing yourself speak the truth, even in, or I should say especially in difficult situations.
I encourage you to declare and decree the truths of Psalm 91:1-2 on a daily basis. When you say what you believe, it becomes a reality in your life. This involves application of the principles of the word of God in order to make them an everyday reality.
The year 2026 (5786) is filled with possibilities. Let God know you agree that He is your refuge, your fortress, and your God. I believe you will experience a degree of power, peace, protection, and provision that you have never known before.
Yours for the Harvest,
Dr. Rod Parsley
Founder & General Overseer