Category: NLT Resources

Activity from the Hands-On Bible

Read Matthew 21:1-11

As Jesus and the disciples approached Jerusalem, they came to the town of Bethphage on the Mount of Olives. Jesus sent two of them on ahead. 2“Go into the village over there,” he said. “As soon as you enter it, you will see a donkey tied there, with its colt beside it. Untie them and bring them to me. 3If anyone asks what you are doing, just say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will immediately let you take them.”
4This took place to fulfill the prophecy that said,
5“Tell the people of Jerusalem,
‘Look, your King is coming to you.
He is humble, riding on a donkey—riding on a donkey’s colt.’”
6The two disciples did as Jesus commanded. 7They brought the donkey and the colt to him and threw their garments over the colt, and he sat on it.
8Most of the crowd spread their garments on the road ahead of him, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9Jesus was in the center of the procession, and the people all around him were shouting,
“Praise God for the Son of David!
Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
Praise God in highest heaven!”
10The entire city of Jerusalem was in an uproar as he entered. “Who is this?” they asked.
11And the crowds replied, “It’s Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.

Parade of Praise

The people in Jerusalem had a parade-like gathering to honor Jesus. What can you do to honor Jesus? Think of a few ways and write them down.

The people cheered Jesus. They laid their coats in the road and shouted praises. Thin of ways you can praise Jesus and write them down.

Now, that you’ve made a plan, get going! Show Jesus he’s more important than anything else in your life.

Get your family together and have your own Jesus-honoring parade. You could even get people who are far away involved by having a video conference call and all being in the parade together!

What are some of your ideas?

Look inside the Hands-On Bible

“Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him. For he will rescue you from every trap and protect you from deadly disease. He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection.” Psalm 91:1-4, NLT

Article from the Swindoll Study Bible

I don’t know if you have ever tried to trap birds, but it’s quite an experience. When I was a very little boy, my family lived in the city of Fort Worth for a few years. In our backyard there were many trees. One summer, my sister and brother and I learned the joy of trapping wild birds, caging them, and raising them. Ours was a makeshift method. We had a little apple crate that we put on a stick. We tied a string to the stick and put leaves and dirt on the string so the birds couldn’t see it. Then we hid over in the screened-in back porch with the string in someone’s hand. We had laid out bread that led right up to the trap. Then underneath the trap, we piled up about half a loaf of bread. When a little bird would hop along, we would snicker behind the porch screen. About the time that a bird would get near, one of us would sneeze, and the bird would take off. So we’d wait again. Eventually we learned that what appealed to a mockingbird didn’t appeal to a blue jay, and what appealed to a blue jay didn’t affect a cardinal. We learned through trial and error that you’ve got to know what kind of trap to set or you won’t catch the bird.

Satan knows just how to bait your trap. He’s seen your kind for centuries. I know that you are unique, but you have basic weaknesses, just like others who have lived before you and others before them. Satan’s been baiting traps since human beings came on the earth, and he is delighted to snatch you away in a snare.

We all have weak moments. We all have days in which we are weaker than at other times. You probably know what it’s like to be under attack. It is easy to be vulnerable both when we’re under attack and when we’re resting on the crest of enjoyment.

God gives a great promise to those who “live in the shelter of
the Most High” (Ps. 91:1), those who trust in Him and rely on Him day by day: He is able to rescue and protect you from Satan’s traps. Like a great eagle who covers its young with its wings, God covers us, and under the wings of His protection we find comfort and refuge in the middle of the battle. God is a faithful protector. He protects us in the midst of attack, puts His shield around us, and guards us.

Because God is our protector, we can have strong inner confidence. We who trust in Him are redeemed children of God who have been declared righteous in His eyes and are protected, cared for, and loved. Now we can have confidence in dealing with the enemy. I’m not saying that we can play games with him. He is extremely strong and brilliant beyond our abilities but not beyond the ability of Christ. There is wonderful freedom and release from fear in realizing our position in Christ is secure. There is power in the blood of the Lord Jesus and in the application of the Word of God.

Learn more about the Swindoll Study Bible

Read all of Psalm 91

“Those who live in the shelter of the Most High
will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
2This I declare about the Lord:
He alone is my refuge, my place of safety;
he is my God, and I trust him.
3For he will rescue you from every trap
and protect you from deadly disease.
4He will cover you with his feathers.
He will shelter you with his wings.
His faithful promises are your armor and protection.
5Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night,
nor the arrow that flies in the day.
6Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness,
nor the disaster that strikes at midday.
7Though a thousand fall at your side,
though ten thousand are dying around you,
these evils will not touch you.
8Just open your eyes,
and see how the wicked are punished.
9If you make the Lord your refuge,
if you make the Most High your shelter,
10no evil will conquer you;
no plague will come near your home.
11For he will order his angels
to protect you wherever you go.
12They will hold you up with their hands
so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.
13You will trample upon lions and cobras;
you will crush fierce lions and serpents under your feet!
14The Lord says, “I will rescue those who love me.
I will protect those who trust in my name.
15When they call on me, I will answer;
I will be with them in trouble.
I will rescue and honor them.
16I will reward them with a long life
and give them my salvation.”

Notes from the NLT Study Bible

Ps 91 This wisdom psalm expresses confidence in the Almighty God, who provides a shelter for those who take refuge in him. They receive redemption, life, and glory from the Lord, who loves and cares for those who seek him.

91:1-2 The Lord is an ancient shelter, open to those who seek
refuge in him.

91:1 The Most High is an ancient title that expresses the Lord’s exalted status (Gen 14:19) as the ruler and protector of the godly.

91:3-4 The psalmist invites the godly to trust in the Lord and find protection in him.

91:3 God protects the godly from deadly disease and even a destructive word.

91:4 The armor might refer to a body shield, while protection refers to a small shield worn on the arm.

91:5-8 The godly should not be afraid, because the Lord watches over them. These promises do not guarantee an escape from trouble, but they create an expectation of the Lord’s goodness.

91:6 The reference to disease represents any kind of affliction.

91:9-13 The poet again invites the godly to seek refuge in the Lord and
enjoy the benefits of divine protection.

91:11 he will order his angels: Satan cited these words when he tempted Jesus (Matt 4:6; Luke 4:10-11), but God makes this promise for those who obey him (91:14), not for those who arrogantly test him (Matt 4:4, 7).

91:14-16 The godly can trust the Lord’s protection and provision.

91:14 Those who love the Lord will obey him (Deut 30:20; 1 Jn 5:3) and seek his protection (91:1; 145:18).

91:15 The Lord promises to answer the prayers of his people. l The Psalter often speaks of people honoring the Lord (50:15); here, God promises to honor the godly who risk everything for his sake (62:7; 71:21; 84:11).

91:16 A long life on earth represents just a small part of the Lord’s goodness and eternal friendship (23:6).

Take a look inside the NLT Study Bible

Read all of Psalm 91

“Those who live in the shelter of the Most High
will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
2This I declare about the Lord:
He alone is my refuge, my place of safety;
he is my God, and I trust him.
3For he will rescue you from every trap
and protect you from deadly disease.
4He will cover you with his feathers.
He will shelter you with his wings.
His faithful promises are your armor and protection.
5Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night,
nor the arrow that flies in the day.
6Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness,
nor the disaster that strikes at midday.
7Though a thousand fall at your side,
though ten thousand are dying around you,
these evils will not touch you.
8Just open your eyes,
and see how the wicked are punished.
9If you make the Lord your refuge,
if you make the Most High your shelter,
10no evil will conquer you;
no plague will come near your home.
11For he will order his angels
to protect you wherever you go.
12They will hold you up with their hands
so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.
13You will trample upon lions and cobras;
you will crush fierce lions and serpents under your feet!
14The Lord says, “I will rescue those who love me.
I will protect those who trust in my name.
15When they call on me, I will answer;
I will be with them in trouble.
I will rescue and honor them.
16I will reward them with a long life
and give them my salvation.”

Activity from the Hands-On Bible

Read Psalm 91:11 out loud. How do God’s angels protect us? Maybe like this!

1. Grab two large plastic or paper cups, some newspaper, a raw egg, and some tape.
2. Stuff the cups with newspaper to act as padding, leaving room for the egg.
3. Put the egg inside the newspaper padding, and tape the two cups together with lots of tape!
4. Drop the cups from the height of your shoulders!

If you used plenty of padding and taped the cups well, your egg should be safe and sound! God has ways to keep us safe and sound too.

Read Psalm 91:11 again. Because God loves you so much, he sends his angels to protect you!

The next time you’re scared or worried, remember that God sends his angels to protect you, just like you protected the egg. (Know what else? God’s protecting you even when you’re not scared and worried! GOD’S AWESOME!)

Take a look inside the Hands-On Bible

Read All of Psalm 91

“Those who live in the shelter of the Most High
will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
2This I declare about the Lord:
He alone is my refuge, my place of safety;
he is my God, and I trust him.
3For he will rescue you from every trap
and protect you from deadly disease.
4He will cover you with his feathers.
He will shelter you with his wings.
His faithful promises are your armor and protection.
5Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night,
nor the arrow that flies in the day.
6Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness,
nor the disaster that strikes at midday.
7Though a thousand fall at your side,
though ten thousand are dying around you,
these evils will not touch you.
8Just open your eyes,
and see how the wicked are punished.
9If you make the Lord your refuge,
if you make the Most High your shelter,
10no evil will conquer you;
no plague will come near your home.
11For he will order his angels
to protect you wherever you go.
12They will hold you up with their hands
so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.
13You will trample upon lions and cobras;
you will crush fierce lions and serpents under your feet!
14The Lord says, “I will rescue those who love me.
I will protect those who trust in my name.
15When they call on me, I will answer;
I will be with them in trouble.
I will rescue and honor them.
16I will reward them with a long life
and give them my salvation.”

Note from the Swindoll Study Bible

The Lord has not chosen to remove us from evil. He has not isolated us from the presence of wrong. Instead, God walks with us in the midst of an evil world. When we walk in close relationship with Him, we enjoy a secret hiding place, “the shelter of the Most High.” There we can “find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.”

The result of living in the shadow of the Almighty is that you lose your fear. Fear keeps us constantly uneasy, looking over our shoulders, and suspicious. When we are living in the shelter of the Most High and finding rest in the shadow of the Almighty, we do not need to be afraid, even when evil is all around us. Fearless courage comes from walking in close fellowship with God.

Take a look inside the Swindoll Study Bible

Read All of Psalm 91

“Those who live in the shelter of the Most High
will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
2This I declare about the Lord:
He alone is my refuge, my place of safety;
he is my God, and I trust him.
3For he will rescue you from every trap
and protect you from deadly disease.
4He will cover you with his feathers.
He will shelter you with his wings.
His faithful promises are your armor and protection.
5Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night,
nor the arrow that flies in the day.
6Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness,
nor the disaster that strikes at midday.
7Though a thousand fall at your side,
though ten thousand are dying around you,
these evils will not touch you.
8Just open your eyes,
and see how the wicked are punished.
9If you make the Lord your refuge,
if you make the Most High your shelter,
10no evil will conquer you;
no plague will come near your home.
11For he will order his angels
to protect you wherever you go.
12They will hold you up with their hands
so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.
13You will trample upon lions and cobras;
you will crush fierce lions and serpents under your feet!
14The Lord says, “I will rescue those who love me.
I will protect those who trust in my name.
15When they call on me, I will answer;
I will be with them in trouble.
I will rescue and honor them.
16I will reward them with a long life
and give them my salvation.”

Notes from the Life Application Study Bible, Third Edition

This psalm wonderfully reassures anyone facing the sickness or death of a loved one, time in prison, or some other great loss. When you have the opportunity, read this psalm aloud as a prayer for yourself or someone who needs help. It will bring great comfort, encouragement, and peace.

God shelters and protects us when we are afraid, sick, or in deep trouble. The writer’s faith in the almighty God as his protector would carry him through all of life’s dangers and fears. This is a picture of how we should truth God – trading all our fears for faith in him, no matter how intense they may be. To do this, we must “live” and “rest” with him (91:1). By entrusting ourselves to his protection and pledging our daily devotion to him, we acknowledge that he will keep us safe.

Take a look inside the Life Application Study Bible, Third Edition

Read all of Psalm 91

“Those who live in the shelter of the Most High
will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
2This I declare about the Lord:
He alone is my refuge, my place of safety;
he is my God, and I trust him.
3For he will rescue you from every trap
and protect you from deadly disease.
4He will cover you with his feathers.
He will shelter you with his wings.
His faithful promises are your armor and protection.
5Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night,
nor the arrow that flies in the day.
6Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness,
nor the disaster that strikes at midday.
7Though a thousand fall at your side,
though ten thousand are dying around you,
these evils will not touch you.
8Just open your eyes,
and see how the wicked are punished.
9If you make the Lord your refuge,
if you make the Most High your shelter,
10no evil will conquer you;
no plague will come near your home.
11For he will order his angels
to protect you wherever you go.
12They will hold you up with their hands
so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.
13You will trample upon lions and cobras;
you will crush fierce lions and serpents under your feet!
14The Lord says, “I will rescue those who love me.
I will protect those who trust in my name.
15When they call on me, I will answer;
I will be with them in trouble.
I will rescue and honor them.
16I will reward them with a long life
and give them my salvation.”

Note from the Every Man’s Bible

When we see God as our refuge, our protector, we will be eager to seek him and surrender our lives to his care. How comforting to know that when we cry out, God protects us as a mother bird protects her young. Our powerful defender will never fail us if we turn to him for shelter and comfort.

God watches over us, his chosen ones. Sometimes his protection will come in the form of angels who car for us and keep us safe. Other times God may use more natural means. But his help will come. As we cry out to him, he will be with s in our troubles and rescue us.

Sometimes we forget how powerful God really is. Here is a great activity from the Hands-On Bible that goes along with 1 Kings 18. Read it together and then try this activity.

Want to learn more about the Hands-On Bible and try a few more ideas? Take a look inside.

“Then Jesus got into the boat and started across the lake with his disciples. Suddenly, a fierce storm struck the lake, with waves breaking into the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him up, shouting, ‘Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!’ Jesus responded, ‘Why are you afraid? You have so little faith!’ Then he got up and rebuked the wind and waves, and suddenly there was a great calm. The disciples were amazed. ‘Who is this man?’ they asked. ‘Even the winds and waves obey him!’ Matthew 8:23-17, NLT

Notes from the Illustrated Study Bible

Sudden squalls are common on the Sea of Galilee, which is among mountains. The episode at sea extends the theme of what true discipleship involves. The storm challenged the disciples to entrust their very lives to Jesus for protection and deliverance. Jesus even has authority over dangerous weather and the sea (see Job 38:8-11; Pss 29; 65:1-13;
89:9; 107:23-32).

Who is this man? Salvation requires a proper answer to this question and active faith in him. Jesus’ disciples had still failed to understand.

“One day Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Let’s cross to the other side of the lake.’ So they got into a boat and started out. As they sailed across, Jesus settled down for a nap. But soon a fierce storm came down on the lake. The boat was filling with water, and they were in real danger. The disciples went and woke him up, shouting, ‘Master, Master, we’re going to drown!’ When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and the raging waves. Suddenly the storm stopped and all was calm. Then he asked them, ‘Where is your faith?’ The disciples were terrified and amazed. ‘Who is this man?’ they asked each other. ‘When he gives a command, even the wind and waves obey him!’ Luke 8:22-25, NLT

Notes from the Life Application Study Bible

Luke includes this event to help us see the enormity of the Creator’s power. When caught in the storms of life, how quickly we can think that God has lost control and that we’re at the mercy of the winds of fate. In reality, God is sovereign. He controls the history of the world as well as our personal destinies. Just as Jesus calmed the waves, he can calm whatever storms you may face.

The Sea of Galilee (actually a large lake) is still the scene of fierce storms, sometimes with waves as high as 20 feet. Jesus’ disciples had good reason to be terrified. Even though several of them were expert fishermen and knew this sea and how to handle a boat, their peril was real.

Learn more about the Life Application Study Bible