Psalm 91:14-16, “14 Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name. 15 He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him. 16 With long life I will satisfy him, And show him My salvation.”
The motivation for our love for God is that He first loved us. We knew not what love is until He demonstrated it. Which of the angels did the Lord says He loves? Yet the angels are more holier than man, the bible says He has made us lower than the angels yet He has bestowed His love upon us.
Vs. 14 “Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; …”. Here is the Lord speaking of His chosen ones. This is not because the one He loves deserves to be kept, but because with all his imperfections he does love his God. Therefore not the angels of God only, but the God of angels himself will come to his rescue in all perilous times, and will effectually deliver him. No one has ever loved God with a perfect love apart from Christ, but Hebrews 11 talks about the heroes of faith who loved God but not with a perfect love and God came to their rescue many times. It is love, love set upon God, which is the distinguishing mark of those whom the Lord secures from all trouble
“….. I will set him on high, because he has known my name”. David in Psalm 34:8, says “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!” David knew the goodness and faithfulness of God through the love of God. Proverbs 18:10, “The name of the LORD is a strong tower; The righteous run to it and are safe”. A child who knows his father and loves him can trust his father’s words when he says, “son trust me, I will catch and hold you when you let go of the branch you are holding on to”. Love secures trust.
Vs. 15, “He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him”. The established relationship provides comfort ability in approaching the one who loves and cares. You would not feel comfortable going to another father to ask for something, but with your father who you have close relationship with, who you know his name and nature, you feel comfortable asking him anything you need. Here we get the assurance that because of who God is to us, when we call on Him, He answers. Jeremiah 33:3, “‘Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.’ 1John 5:14-15, “14 Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him. “Saints are first called of God and then they call upon God; such calls as theirs always obtain answers. Not without prayer will the blessing come to the most favored, but by means of prayer they shall receive all good things. I will be with him in trouble, or “I am with him in trouble.” Heirs of heaven are conscious of a special divine presence in times of severe trial. God is always near in sympathy and in power to help his tried ones. I will deliver him, and honor him. The man honors God, and God honors him. Believers are not delivered or preserved in a way which lowers them, and makes them feel themselves degraded; far from it, the Lord’s salvation bestows honor upon those it delivers. God first gives us conquering grace, and then rewards us for it”, Charles Spurgeon.
Vs. 16. “With long life I will satisfy him, And show him My salvation.” I think this verse has more to do with quality of life rather than quantity of life (how long someone lives). There are those who accomplish a lot in a short time and are quite satisfied with life, and are content to leave it when time comes. All the apostles had long life but not by man’s thoughts, they lived their life to the fullest because God purposed it that way and was their salvation.
All these are possible in the light of Psalm 91:1 meaning he that by faith chooses God for his protector, shall find all in Him that he needs or can desire. And those who have found the comfort of making the Lord their refuge, cannot but desire that others may do so. Psalm 91:1 is our 911 emergency number. Blessings Ev
He Has Magnified His Word 