The treasure of the Psalms

What a gift to receive a heap of books on the Psalms in this time when it’s hard to know how to pray. They arrived in the mail just before the pandemic and the world’s shock at American policing practices exploded into view. What could be more pertinent now than Psalm 91’s promise of God’s protection against “the deadly pestilence” (vv. 3, 6)?

Careful though. These promises offer little comfort to the hundreds of thousands who have died or the millions who mourn the disease of white supremacy. In fact, the devil seems particularly to like Psalm 91, quoting it to Jesus in the wilderness (Matt. 4:6; Luke 4:10–11). Satan’s citation is a warning: you will be tempted to think the God of the Bible is a deus ex machina, spectacularly saving you from all harm—and you will be wrong.

How might we read the devil’s favorite psalm differently?