“Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.” (Psalm 91:14 NIV)
Coming across this chapter in the book of Psalms, we can find many treasures within it that are worth storing in our hearts. It covers everything from dwelling in the shelter of the Most High to Him being our refuge and fortress, someone we can trust, as it reassures us that because we love the Lord, He will rescue and protect us for acknowledging His name.
How wonderful to think that because we love the Lord, He promises to look after and save us for simply accepting His name. The Amplified Bible version reads, “Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, Because he knows and understands My name (has a personal knowledge of My mercy, love, and kindness – trusts and relies on Me knowing I will never forsake him, no, never).”
Amen? Amen! All we need to do is set our love upon the Lord while trusting and relying on Him, knowing that He will never forsake us, no, never! Boy if that doesn’t get our spiritual blood boiling it should have. As nice as it sounds, it certainly doesn’t give us the right to go venturing out on our own, but it’s a comfort to know that the Lord is there, protecting us during those times we need it the most. A security that follows us wherever we go, unlike the protection we get from our parents, the police, or others that has a limit to its use.
For myself over the years, I’ve always known that I have kept my guardian angel plenty busy, probably even more times than I could even imagine. One time in particular was when I decided to venture out on my own in the darkness of the night. It was in the midst of that darkness that I got to experience firsthand what it was like to have God’s loving protection surround me. My husband and I had just had an argument and I made the decision to walk to my parents’ home a mile away, to cool off and think, after he left for the store. The things I experienced, the protective shield I saw and felt over me could have only come from the Lord himself, as I safely made my voyage down the dark remote country road, across the cattle fields to my parents’ house and back home again.
Often we try to argue the point that if He is so loving and protective, “Why did he allow my cousin to be killed in a senseless car accident at such a young age?” and so forth. “Where was his protection then?” Soon Satan finds us here, caught in a weak moment, and puts doubt and questions in our hearts where trust and faith need to be. We might never understand everything God does, looking past His protective shield, but that’s where trust jumps in as we read about in Proverbs 3:5-6: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight” (NIV).
It’s as straightforward as that. It’s not enough to just acknowledge His name. Many people do that on a daily basis, but it’s all done in vain; they incorrectly use His name. As Christians, it’s important that we don’t mistreat the name of the Lord, by failing to show forth our faith in the One Who is worthy of it.
Dear Heavenly Father, thank You, Lord, that once the protective hands of those surrounding us have been jerked away, we find Your arms still around us, as Your protective shield remains firmly in place, protecting us not only from danger but also from Satan’s tricks and traps, and from ourselves and the things we often do in our senseless adventures in the darkness of the world. May we always lean on Your Name that is above all names forever and ever! Amen.
© 2007 by Karen J. Gillett @Pencil Marks and Recipes Publishing
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