Episode 138: Shadow of the Almighty

Elisabeth Elliot’s account of her husband Jim’s missionary career—a career which ended with his martyrdom—is entitled, The Shadow of the Almighty. The title is taken from the opening line of Psalm 91, which uses imagery reminiscent of the opening of Psalm 57. Unlike Psalm 57, however, Psalm 91 is neither a lament over the psalmist’s troubles nor a plea to be rescued. The psalmist is confident that God will protect his people from all harm. Still, one might ask, “If Jim Elliot lived in the shadow of the Almighty, why did he die at the point of a spear?” 

What is Chunks: The Book of Psalms?

If the Bible had a hymnal, it would be the book of Psalms. This diverse collection of 150 poems and prayers runs the gamut of emotion and experience, from songs of highest praise to the deepest depths of lament, from prayers for help and salvation to vehement curses against the psalmist's enemies. We will not cover all the psalms in this podcast, nor take them in order. But my hope is that each episode will help you connect more personally with the riches of the Psalms. All biblical passages will be read from the New International Version, unless otherwise noted.