Most people know that dialing the numbers 9-1-1 in the United States will get them in touch with emergency help. It’s so simple that even preschoolers have saved the lives of family members by using it. Three numbers do it all.

In one case, a woman’s car had been hijacked with her and her infant son inside. She dialed 9-1-1 on her cellular phone, but the hijacker was totally unaware of what she had done. With the police dispatcher listening, the young mother cleverly included clues about her location as she talked to the hijacker. Police were able to locate her and her baby and arrest the criminal.

In an emergency, help is as close as three pushes on the phone keypad. Often, though, the situations we face cannot be remedied by human rescuers. Many times our crisis requires divine assistance. When that happens, we can call a different kind of 9-1-1—Psalm 91:1. There we find the help and protection of our Almighty God. This verse reminds us that God is our “shelter” and that we can rest in His shadow.

When we face the crises of life, we often try to survive on our own. We forget that what we need most, God’s protection and the comfort of His presence, are available for the asking. The next time spiritual danger strikes, dial Psalm 91:1.