“Surely He will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence.” – Psalm 91:3, NIV

There are certain words that professional writers are advised not to use in their writing.

Words such as ‘always,’ ‘surely,’ ‘must,’ ‘certainly,’ etc, are usually used cautiously for obvious reasons; in this world, you just can never be certain or sure.

However, the verse in our meditation today starts with the word ‘surely.’

The Hebrew word for ‘surely’ is aken, and it is used numerous times in the Old Testament to convey certainty or assurance in a statement.

In the New Testament, amen is the Greek translated ‘surely/verily’ and was particularly used by our Lord Jesus Christ, to affirm the truthfulness or certainty of what He was saying.

Across the Gospels, Christ used the word ‘verily’ more than 60 times, which emphasizes the importance of what He had to say.

He also frequently used the word ‘truly’ (alethos) in a similar manner to indicate or affirm the certainty, accuracy or assurance of something.

His promise is; “Surely He will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence.”

The word ‘surely’ is added to emphasize the truthfulness or certainty of God’s promise.

The assumption is that without the word ‘surely,’ the statement might not be taken seriously.

For the saints of God, the certainty of God’s promises is absolute, invariable and unwavering.

This is because the promises of God in His Word are without error or contradiction.

The promises of God are reliable and trustworthy because the One who promised cannot lie.

Whatever the circumstances, believers are admonished to have faith in God’s Word, trusting in Him even when the enemy’s ‘snares’ and ‘pestilences’ are everywhere around them.

 Whatever God promised has a ‘surely’ preceding it – it’s ‘yes and amen’ – akin to a promissory note that is good enough to be taken to the bank.

The word ‘surely,’ which underpins the certainty of God’s word, is foundational to your faith and provides a firm basis for understanding God’s character.

Whatever is around you, God’s promises are ‘sure’ – steadfast, reliable, and unfailing.

When God makes a promise, it is considered inherently reliable because it comes from the faithful One in whom “there is no shadow of turning” in comparison to human beings who promise you ‘heaven’ and give you ‘hell’ instead.

Numbers 23:19 says; “God is not human, that He should lie, not a human being, that He should change his mind. Does He speak and then not act? Does He promise and not fulfill?”

Hanging onto the word ‘surely’ and not letting go, is critical as believing in the surety of God’s promises has historically been a source of comfort, encouragement, and hope to the saints during the challenging seasons of their lives.

In reference to Christ, 2 Corinthians 1:20 says; “For all the promises of God find their Yes in Him.  That is why it is through Him that we utter our Amen to God for His glory.”  

That implies that through Christ, all the promises of God are ‘sure’ – in Him they are all fulfilled and affirmed.

 Whatever God promised has a ‘surely’ preceding it – it’s ‘yes and amen’ – akin to a promissory note that is good enough to be taken to the bank.