Love for God-The Satisfied Life (Ps. 91:14-16)

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 5/25/2012 10:15:15 AM

My Worship Time                                          Focus:  Love for God—the Satisfied Life

Bible Reading & Meditation                                     Reference:  Psalm 91:14-16

            Message of the verses:  We will continue with the last section of Psalm 91 in today’s SD by looking at the last three verses of the psalm.

            Love for God—the Satisfied Life (vv. 14-16):  “14 “Because he has loved Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him securely on high, because he has known My name. 15 “He will call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him. 16 “With a long life I will satisfy him And let him see My salvation.’”

            “14 The LORD says, “I will rescue those who love me.  I will protect those who trust in my name. 15 When they call on me, I will answer; I will be with them in trouble.  I will rescue and honor them. 16 I will reward them with a long life and give them my salvation.’’” (NLT)

            We see in the NLT that God is the One who is speaking at this point of the psalm.  We also see the word loved in verse fourteen, and that it is not the usual word for love found in the OT.  “02836 ^קשׁח^ chashaq \@khaw-shak’\@

  a primitive root; v; {See TWOT on 773}

  AV-desire 3, set his love 2, filleted 3, log 1, delight 1, in love 1; 11

  1) (Qal) to love, be attached to, long for

 2) (Piel) fillet

 3) (Pual) fillet”

            Dr. Wiersbe writes of this word:  “The word translated ‘love’ is not the usual word but one that means ‘to cling to, to cleave, to be passionate.’  It is used in Deuteronomy 7:7 and 10:15 for the love Jehovah has for His people Israel.  (See John 14:21-24.): “21  "He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him." 22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, "Lord, what then has happened that You are going to disclose Yourself to us and not to the world?" 23 Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him. 24 “He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father’s who sent Me.”  “7 “The LORD did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any of the peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples.”  “"Yet on your fathers did the LORD set His affection to love them, and He chose their descendants after them, even you above all peoples, as it is this day.”  (Deu. 7:7 & 10:15)

            We see blessings in this psalm that the Lord gives to His people as the Lord will deliver His people in times of trouble and set them on high.  This setting on high reminds me of Psalm 40:2 “He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay; And He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm.”  I admit that the circumstances are not exactly the same, but in both verses we see that the psalmist is being blessed by the Lord by setting them on a higher place (spiritually).  We also see the blessing of companionship, for when we are a believer in Jesus Christ we always have someone to talk to, someone who loves us.  Dr. Wiersbe writes about the word “salvation” that we see in verse 16:  “The salvation mentioned at the end of the psalm may mean help and deliverance during life, as in 50:23 or the joy of beholding the glory of God after a long and satisfied life.  To the Jewish people living a long life and seeing one’s children grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, was the ultimate of blessing in this life.”  “It’s one thing for doctors to add years to our life, but God adds life to our years and makes that life worthwhile.”

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I like what Dr. Wiersbe compares at the end of his commentary, when he speaks about the difference of added years that doctors can provide with the years that the Lord provides.  The Lord gives us productive years, years filled with joy and the Holy Spirit knowing that as we yield to His will that we will be doing the things that are important which will make a difference in other people’s lives.

My Steps of Faith for Today:  I desire to remain in the Vine as the Lord Jesus spoke of in the 15^th chapter of John.  Abiding or remaining in the Vine will produce fruit in my life, fruit that the Lord planed for me to accomplish for His glory in eternity past.  (Eph. 2:10)

5/25/2012 10:54:28 AM