Psalm 91:14-16 “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.”

In these verses the Lord described the benefits of a personal an intimate relationship with Him. When we set our love upon Him, He delivers us. To set our love on Him means more than possessing knowledge of Him; it speaks of an intimate personal relationship, of being fully devoted to him, of binding or knitting oneself to him. I envision a wedding ceremony where the bride and groom vow to forsake all others and commit complete devotion to each other. In response, the Lord promised to deliver us. In verse 10 the psalmist declared no evil would come near the one who draws near to the Lord and yet in verse 14 God promised to deliver us. There is no contradiction in these two verses. The evil and sorrow we are exposed to here on earth will not touch the core of our faith which is based on our personal and intimate relationship with the Lord.

In verses 14-16 He promised to set us on high, to answer when we call out to Him, deliver and honor us, to satisfy us with long life and show us his salvation. I see the emphasis on a satisfying life more than a long life. Abraham Lincoln is credited with the old maxim, “in the end, it’s not the years in your life, but the life in your years.” Well said. I envision sitting at the Lord’s table and enjoying the fellowship of His presence, refusing to leave the table to answer the door when trouble comes knocking.

My friend, a lifetime of formal and informal study of the Bible and all things related to God is no substitute for a personal and intimate relationship with the Lord. I am grateful for the many professors who poured into my life in college and seminary. I am grateful for the hundreds if not thousands of theological books and periodicals I have read through the years. But knowledge of God is no substitute for the relationship with God. A personal relationship with Him is as simple as ABC. First, admit you have sinned, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Then, believe on Jesus Christ as the one and only Son of God who died on the cross for your sin.   Finally, confess Jesus Christ publicly. If you would like to talk with someone about this, please email me and we will talk and pray together.