Title: Most Needed
Contents
♤♠♤ The Most Necessary / Psalm 91:1-16
*** Introduction
This poem is filled with unwavering beautiful trust in God and God's protection and love for him. The poet confesses his unwavering trust that God perfectly protects and guides all of life's journeys.
How important is God to you? And where is God in your life, and how much space are you making for Him?
This is a story that happened in the testimony of a young man long ago.
The young man lived in the countryside, and there was a small thatched house that was falling down on the road he always passed to go into town. Occasionally, I could see an elderly grandmother working. But almost every time we passed, we could hear stories or hymns. The young man also attends a church in town, so I wondered who lived in that house.
One day, the young man decided to visit the house because he had plenty of time left. The hymns were still heard that day. Passing through the open private door, he said, “Are you there?” Then the door opened and Grandma asked, 'How did you get here?' The young man said that he visited once because he liked the sound of hymns along the way. Grandma beckons to enter the room.
The small room had only one old long pole and a futon. It was a very poor living. My grandmother told me that she lived alone. But the grandmother's face looked so calm. Thinking about the occasional voice of the story, the young man said, “Grandma, do you see frequent visitors? Sometimes when I pass by, I hear a story... ” he said. Isn't Grandma saying, "Aha, I heard you talking to the owner." The young man asked, “Isn’t your grandmother the owner of the house?” Then the grandmother said, "You are my master, and you are the owner of this house." Grandma said that because the Lord is always with us, we talk and sing songs, we are neither bored nor lonely, and although we are poor, we do not worry about food.
On the way back, the young man said that he looked very poor. Since then, I have treated my grandmother like a mother, and I have come to have the Lord as the master of my life just like my grandmother.
God is the Lord of all life, and He wants us to give up our position as Lord. Giving God the position of the master of our hearts means that we have God as the master of our lives. If God is our master, then we are God's people. The poet confesses in this poem that God is his protector and master. And in the form of prophecy, great promises are made to God's people who depend on him. Then, what do the saints need to receive this great promise?
It is an anecdote of ‘John Wesley,’ the founder and leader of Methodism.
One day, in a dream, he saw a vision that led him to the gates of heaven. Wesley had a conversation with an angel in charge of the place. During the conversation, Wesley asked what kind of people were in Heaven.
“Are Roman Catholics in Heaven?” The angel looked carefully through the large book and said, "There are no Catholics in heaven." Wesley wasn't too surprised. “Then, are the Presbyterians going to heaven?” The angel said, “There are no Presbyterians.” I wasn't too surprised either. So I asked all the denominations on the earth. But the angel's answer was always "no." Wesley finally asked about his denomination. “How many Methodists are in Heaven?” The angel said, “There are no Methodists.”
Distraught Wesley exclaimed in an excited tone. “If there are no Catholics, no Presbyterians, no Baptists, no Methodists in Heaven, who the hell is in Heaven?” The angel spoke softly.
“Mr Wesley, those who are in heaven are just those who love you.”
In the sight of God, human years of faith, deep religious devotion, denomination, high learning, richness and poverty are all useless. All you need is a heart that truly loves God. Do you love God with a sincere heart? Or do you want to love but don't know how to love God? Through this psalm, let's examine what it is like to love God, the most necessary thing for the saints.
1. First, there is a great general truth about God.
In verse 1, the psalmist proclaims the general truth about God. We declare that God is the Most High and the Almighty in all life.
A true believer is characterized by “abiding in the secret place of the Most High.” That is, enjoy peace and rest in God. They also know their faith well, serve God sincerely, and worship God in secret. It is a privilege and a consolation for them to ‘abide under the shadow of the Almighty’. The reason is that the Most High and Almighty God protects.
2. Declare the general truth as your stand.
The psalmist naturally applies the general truths about God to his position. In verse 2, the poet confesses that “God is his refuge, his fortress, and the God in whom he trusts.” This confession is the starting point of love for God. That is, from knowing the commonly known God to confessing as my God.
We know a lot about God by hearing sermons, reading the Bible, or reading books. But knowing God and loving God are two different things. The Lord says that in the Gospel of John. It is verse 14:15. He said, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” In verse 21, “He who has my commandments and keeps them is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I also love him and reveal myself to him.” 15:10, "Just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love, so if you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love."
In verse 2, the poet's resolve is clearly drawn. “Whatever others say about God, I will say of the Lord, I am my refuge.” The idolaters called their idol Mahuzzim, a “great stronghold” (Daniel 11:39). But the poet relied on Jehovah as his God, his fortress, and did not doubt God's ability to protect him. This complete trust is the manifestation of loving God.
In this way, faith in God is manifested through concrete living in one's life. The poet records that fact in the form of exhorting others.
3. A life of sincere trust and to deliver it.
True love brightens a person's heart, and happiness is painted on their face. Even if you do not have to say ‘I love you,’ you can read love from the person’s life and appearance. This love is so contagious that it even affects others.
Based on his experience, the poet gives courage to others to do the same with him, the grace he experienced through loving and trusting God. It is recorded in verse 3 below. This testimony is divided into two parts: ① He is a God who saves us from all kinds of troubles we may experience in our lives (vv. 3-8). ② We testify as the God of absolute providence that removes all possible tribulation possibilities (verses 9-13).
The dangers in life are day and night, and there are no limits in the way. ① Due to carelessness, like a bird caught in a hunter’s snare, so it may be caught in the enemy’s frame, ② a death crisis such as an extreme plague, ③ an accident that destroys life by day and night (5) -6), ④ calamities that destroy millions of people, ⑤ and sufferings that overlap in the same way as in verse 3, etc. From these many calamities, God protects His people, the saints, and leads them to a safe place. Moreover, the poet is convinced that God's protection does not stop there, but also of something uncertain in the future (vv. 9-13).
The reason the poet testifies so confidently and boldly is because of his own experience. Faith in God gives you the power to testify when you experience it.
These days, in TV shopping malls, show hosts introduce things. They introduce, try on, try, and try to empirically demonstrate that this product is safe and effective. Some products are advertised by introducing a new person to claim that they have actually used the product. This, too, is for the effectiveness of experiential propaganda. If someone promoting a product says, 'I haven't tried it, but it probably works', who would trust and buy it?
In this way, faith in God must be practiced and experienced in one's life. And it should be the evidence in life that other people can see and feel the power shown in that life.
4. There is a declaration from God to the beloved.
The poet's love for God leads to an immediate response from God. God promises ‘salvation’, ‘exaltation’ and ‘answers to prayer’ to those who love God. And as we walk together, He declares that He will deliver from crisis, glorify, and satisfy.
It all starts with ‘love God’. Even now, what we saints need the most is not the world's wealth and glory, power, or advancement, but to love God. In the name of the Lord, I pray that your life will lead to a blessed life in which you listen to the answer of God's pleasure by loving God deeply and obeying His Word.