“He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him, And show him My salvation.”” Psalms 91:15-16 NKJV
Reflection: have you ever prayed for God to take you out of a storm, but instead He seems to take you right into it?
Sometimes the Lord has a very different idea of what rescue, what deliverance looks like than we do. A prime example is the story of Job, found in the book of Job in the Old Testament. Through this book, we get a glimpse into the spiritual dimension, what is going on “behind the scenes”, if you will. And as Job and those around him are wondering and even questioning all that was happening to Job, we see the Lord speaking directly to Job. “Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said: “Who is this who darkens counsel By words without knowledge? Now prepare yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer Me. “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding.” Job 38:1-4 NKJV. And the Lord continues asking the questions about His creation, until Job gets the message pretty loud and clear.
God is God,
and Job a mere man. Of God’s creation. “Then Job answered the Lord and said: “I know that You can do everything, And that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You. You asked, ‘Who is this who hides counsel without knowledge?’ Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. Listen, please, and let me speak; You said, ‘I will question you, and you shall answer Me.’ “I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, But now my eye sees You. Therefore I abhor myself, And repent in dust and ashes.”” Job 42:1-6 NKJV. Job understands that he can trust in God, in the goodness of God despite his circumstances.
When Jesus was tempted by the devil in the desert, you might remember that the devil used scripture as a weapon against Jesus. In fact, Satan quoted from Psalms 91. “Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: ‘He shall give His angels charge over you,’ and, ‘In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’ ”” Matthew 4:5-6 NKJV. The words are very similar to what we find in Psalms 91 “For He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you in all your ways. In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.” Psalms 91:11-12 NKJV. So what was wrong here? It was the challenge of God, challenge of His sovereignty and power. There was no love for and trust in God with this challenge. Jesus trusted His Father and responded “Jesus said to him, “It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’ ”” Matthew 4:7 NKJV
Further down in Psalms 91, we find what Satan didn’t mention. Of who the Lord will deliver. It says ““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. He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him, And show him My salvation.”” Psalms 91:14-16 NKJV.
Because he loves Me,
because he knows My name. It is based on a relationship, a trust in and love for the Lord that the Lord is looking for. And you might also remember how Jesus demonstrated this love and full trust in His Father, “He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.”” Matthew 26:39 NKJV. And we remember the awful, horrific valley that Jesus had to walk through by himself, in love of His Father and of us. He knew that God was still in control despite the horrific suffering.
As we walk through difficult things in life, it is tempting to question God, like Job. But the Lord asks us to put our trust in Him alone, to love Him regardless of our circumstances. He will go with us. His promise is “He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him, And show him My salvation.”” Psalms 91:15-16 NKJV.