Psalm 91 - 3.6.24

Scripture 

Because he clings to me I will deliver him; because he knows my name I will set him on high. He will call upon me and I will answer; I will be with him in distress; I will deliver him and give him honor.  (Psalms 91:14-16, NABRE).

Observation

Psalms 91 is a wonderful psalm filled with God’s promises of protection for those who abide in the shadow of the Almighty (verse 1, KJV). When we abide in Him, we are promised protection from secret traps, deadly diseases, dangers of the night, dangers of the day, disasters at noon and protection from accidents (verses 3-12). In verse 14, God promises us that He will deliver us, if we “cling” to him. The NIV translation says “because he loves me, I will rescue him”. I chose the NABRE version as the word “cling” is a better English translation of the original Hebrew word “chashaq”, which is used to convey a deep love, longing and intense clinging of the heart to God. When we cling to God, he will deliver us from whatever we are facing. He will set us on high, because we hold on to his name. We can rest assured that He will answer us, when we call upon Him. He will deliver us and honor us. 

Application

God desires that we love him intensely. We are commanded to love the Lord our God with all our heart, all our soul and all our mind (Deut 6:4-5). Jesus called this the greatest and first commandment (Matt: 22:37-38). When we cling onto him, he will deliver us. When we know him truly, he will lift us up. He will honor us. All of this starts by us clinging onto him with fervent love. I strongly believe that love is a verb, and not a fuzzy feeling that is depicted in the Hollywood movies. Husbands are commanded to love their wives (Eph 5:25), and wives are commanded to love their husbands (Titus 2:4) in the Bible. It is a commandment, because Biblical love is not a feeling. We choose to love. We choose to love and pursue God. When we draw close to Him, we get to understand the length and breadth and depth and height of the love of Christ (Eph 3:18). Setting our love upon Him and clinging to Him everyday is the best decision that we can ever make in our life.

Prayer

Father, I thank you for loving me. Thank you for choosing me and making me your own. Help me to love you, as you desire. Help me to set my love upon you. Help me to cling to you. Thank you for promising that when I draw near to you, you will draw near to me (James 4:8). May my life be a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to you (Romans 12:1). In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

- Asha Chacko George