Four Things Before Honor
Introduction
This topic, “four things before honor” that I want to share, I want to use the book of Psalms 91 for it. Psalms 91 is the Psalms that an England revivalist and evangelist, Smith Wigglesworth of blessed memory said in one of his books that he read and re-read until it became essential part of him.
Psalms 91 has been classified to be under the general Psalms by some local prayer warriors in this part of the world. Many people who belong to the “Aladura group” in this part of the world do read Psalms for prayers. By general Psalms in their contextual belief and practices it means that Psalms 91 could be read while praying on diverse of things. It could be read while praying for protection, power, blessings, glory, breakthroughs, academic excellence and all what not.
This Psalms can be divided into two broad groups namely; protection and deliverance.
However, I want us to view this Psalm from another perspective in this write up.
The writer of this chapter of the book of Psalms is not indicated. It is as if the Holy Ghost or the older prophet was communing or talking with a junior (or young) prophet. The young prophet who was being talked to replied once, but subsequently thereafter he didn’t talk again. We will however see that his first response marks the first thing that usually precedes honor. This is what one has to do before honor comes. On another look, we shall discover that it again looks as if the author of this chapter was soliloquizing.
In order to clarify what I want us to see from this chapter of the book of Psalms, I have divided this book into the four sub-headings namely; trust, habitation, loving God and knowing God’s name.
1. Trust
We shall discover that the very first verse of this book of Psalms talks about anyone who dwells, resides in the secret place of the Most High. It is the person who dwells at this place who shall abide under the “shadow of the Almighty”.
“He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.” (Psa. 91:1)
For a shadow to form there must be a real object. It is the real but not apparent object that would form shadow. It forms shadow after reflecting the rays of light that have been incident on it. This means this writer is saying the “secret place of the Most High” is a real place but not an apparent place, not only an imaginative place in the mind of the writer.
Definition of Secret
Secret is defined by online dictionary as “kept hidden from knowledge or view; concealed”. This definition in other words means something that is not open to the general populace, something that is not open to just anybody.
The secret place therefore means secluded place, a place not open to all, it could also mean a quiet place. The secret place could also be a secluded area, an un-popular area or region. Using the things that we can see for explanation, we know that before anyone will get to the secret place of another person the person would at first take time to search it out, he will take time to do some findings into the secret place of the person.
Taking Cue From Ancient Leaders
The ancient leaders of Africans and the blacks as well as some ancient leaders in some other parts of the continents where people practice idolatry, those people had secret places while on earth. Their secret places are places of power, places where they resort to, to consult their gods, to ask for favor, protection as well as other things they desire. More often than not the secret places of those people were places where they do resort to, to renew their strength. Before a powerful leader can be apprehended, jailed and perhaps killed those days, his power house, which used to be his or her secret place would have to be sought out by the enemies and after getting the secret place would go there, do what is not expected, do what the gods of those people do not want so as to make those gods annoy. It is after the enemies have succeeded in this that the person could be apprehended because the gods the person relied upon would not be able to save the person again because that god or those gods would turn their backs on those people because they have transgressed, they have done what the gods have not asked them to do.
Isn’t this funny? It means that those gods are blind and deaf because assuming they were and are not they ought to know that the despicable act that has been done in the sacred place were not done by their ardent followers and believers, but because they couldn’t see, they could not differentiate between the person who did that and their loyal followers. Let us see something that is similar to this picture in the book of first Samuel.
“And the Philistines took the ark of God, and brought it from Ebenezer unto Ashdod.
“When the Philistines took the ark of God, they brought it into the house of Dagon, and set it by Dagon.
“And when they of Ashdod arose early on the morrow, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the earth before the ark of the Lord. And they took Dagon, and set him in his place again.
“And when they arose early on the morrow morning, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the ground before the ark of the Lord; and the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands were cut off upon the threshold; only the stump of Dagon was left to him.
“Therefore neither the priests of Dagon, nor any that come into Dagon's house, tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod unto this day.
“But the hand of the Lord was heavy upon them of Ashdod, and he destroyed them, and smote them with emerods, even Ashdod and the coasts thereof.
“And when the men of Ashdod saw that it was so, they said, The ark of the God of Israel shall not abide with us: for his hand is sore upon us, and upon Dagon our god.” (1 Sam. 5:1-7)
What happened before this incident was that the Philistines fought with the Israelites and conquered them, after conquering them they took hold of their ark of covenant and take it to their country. When they got to their country in showing appreciation to their god for handing over their chief enemy country into their hand they went and put the ark in the house of their god, Dagon, doing the impossible. They did what their god could not withstand, they did the despicable.
The following day what they noticed surprised them because they found their gods dealt with. They thought that may have be a coincidence, thus they replaced their god to her original position, but the following day worst thing has happened to their god. Outside this, they discovered that there were afflicted with diseases, infections. Matthew Henry in his Bible Commentary says this about this incident, “the hand of the Lord was heavy upon them of Ashdod--The presumption of the Ashdodites was punished by a severe judgment that overtook them in the form of a pestilence.
smote them with emerods--bleeding piles, hemorrhoids (Psalms 78:66), in a very aggravated form. As the heathens generally regarded diseases affecting the secret parts of the body as punishments from the gods for trespasses committed against themselves, the Ashdodites would be the more ready to look upon the prevailing epidemic as demonstrating the anger of God, already shown against their idol.”
“And he smote his enemies in the hinder parts: he put them to a perpetual reproach.” (Psa. 78:66)
David Guzik in his commentary of this place says,
“He ravaged them and struck them with tumors: What were these tumors? Older commentators often describe them as hemorrhoids, and newer commentators often describe them as signs of the bubonic plague. Either way, they were bad.
i. "According to the Rabbins, swellings on the anus." (Keil and Delitszch) "Beating Dagon upon his own dunghill, and smiting his worshippers on their hinder parts, paying their posteriors, as men used to deal with puny boys." (Trapp) "The word apholim, from aphal, to be elevated, probably means the disease called the bleeding piles, which appears to have been accompanied with dysentery, bloody flux, and ulcerated anus." (Clarke)
ii. "Of the numerous suggested identifications of the specific malady that struck the Philistines, bubonic plague remains the most likely: 'It is a disease characterized by an epidemic occurrence, by the appearance of tumours, by the production of panic amongst the affected population, by a high mortality rate, and by an association with mice or rats.'" (Wilkinson cited in Youngblood)
iii. "Emerods; a disease mentioned only here and Deuteronomy 28:27 it was in the hinder parts. It is needless to inquire into the nature of it. It may suffice to know that it was a very sore disease, and not only very vexatious and tormenting, but also pernicious and mortal." (Poole)
“The Lord will smite thee with the botch of Egypt, and with the emerods, and with the scab, and with the itch, whereof thou canst not be healed.” (Deut. 28:27)
c. The Septuagint adds this to verse six: "And the cities and the fields of all that region burst up, and mice were produced, and there was the confusion of a great death in the city." Some think this was originally in the Hebrew text, and explains why golden images of rats were included in the return of the ark (1 Samuel 6:5).
i. In Legends of the Jews, Ginzberg is much more graphic: "This new plague consisted in mice crawling forth out of the earth, and jerking the entrails out of the bodies of the Philistines while they eased nature. If the Philistines sought to protect themselves by using brass vessels, the vessels burst at the touch of the mice, and, as before, the Philistines were at their mercy."
The worshippers did what Ashdod did not want, and he punished them, and the entire town for this all because the entire nation dwells in idolatry. This is an account of what used to happen when the enemies discovered the secret places of those ancient powerful men and women, they will do something that those gods hate so that the wrath of those gods would arise to their worshippers.
You Keep A Watch Over What You Kept
Let us see another thing about secret. What I want to say is, when someone keeps something, we all know that the person will have to keep watch over the area so as to know if there are changes to the thing being kept at that location. If the person discovers any funny or surreptitious activities there, the person would likely move the thing off the area, that is if that thing is something that the person does not want people to see neither to discover where it is being kept at that point in time, the person would move the thing away from the place that he sees funny activities happening there so that the thing would not be discovered so that the secret would remain secret until the time that the person wants it revealed unto the entire people.
May I say that, this is akin to the plan of God for mankind after the fall of man in the garden of Eden, it has been in the mind of God to send his son to the world since the fall of man, but this remains secret with him, he did not let it out of his heart until the appointed time.
“But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,” (Gal. 4:4)
If the thing being kept cannot be quickly moved away from the place where the person who keeps the thing has been noticing funny acts, what the person will do is increase or tighten the security around that place.
From the above words we shall see that one cannot possibly be keeping something away from himself or herself, what the person is keeping in a secret, the person is keeping away from outsiders. In talking about outsiders, I want to believe that what the person is keeping away, the person is keeping away from the enemies, antagonizes, those who do not believe in what the person is doing, the person would keep such things away from them until the set time in his heart.
Enemies are those who do not want us to succeed in whatever we lay our hands upon; therefore, we usually keep things away from them. The bible paints the enemies like thieves who come to steal, kill and destroy.
“The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy” (John 10:10)
When the enemies know your hiding place, they will do everything within their reach to ensure that you are un-successful in that thing. This the main reason for giving the advice that when you have noticed that whenever you find it difficult to do something after telling people your plans or you were unable to do that thing again, you should stop telling people your plans, you should keep your plans to yourself until you succeed in doing what is in your heart. This advice is important for anyone who notices recurrent of something like this in their lives. It is important because no one celebrates failure, no one wants to know it was after you let out of your bag your secrets or plans to friends or people that the plan cannot work again, what the people will know and understand is that you did not succeed in what you want to do that is what they will keep saying about. To prevent them from waging tongue against you and your plans it is better you keep them to yourself until you succeed in what you plan to do.
Why Parents, Teachers, Keep Things
In some other instances, parents and adults will also keep things away from children their children. What parents do keep away from their children are injurious, what would injure them, if they are left alone with that thing.
The medical personnel usually advise that drugs that are not meant for children should be kept away from their reach, this is to avoid them drinking or taking the drug thereby resulting in systemic damage to the children.
Sharp objects are also advised to be taken out of the reach of the children so that they will not use it on themselves and thus resulting in injuries that would lead their parents taken them to hospital if they do not die in the process.
We have heard of children who took hold of their parents’ gun and shot his partner all with the aim of testing it, seeing how it works. Assuming the parent of the child keeps such gun out of the reach of their children such may not happen.
Parents, teachers and elder ones do keep things away from people when they know they do not know its significance, its importance. What you do not know its importance it would be mis-used, abused, thus such a thing would be kept out of the reach of the people who do not value the thing.
God being our parents in some instances may also keep something out of our reach, not that he did not like us, but when he discovered that such thing would injure us, our spiritual lives, he will keep such thing out of our reach to protect and preserve us for himself.
Secluded or Quiet Place
Secret could be talking about a quiet or a secluded place. Secluded is defined by online free dictionary as “hidden from general view or use; "a privy place to rest and think"; "a secluded romantic spot"; "a secret garden"”
Believers in the Lord Jesus Christ have their lives hidden in Jesus Christ, our lives are kept away from the people of the world by the Lord Jesus in God.
“For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.” (Col. 3:3)
Believers lives are hidden where God keeps his wisdom and knowledge so that we shall not
lack these
“In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” (Col. 2:3)
Apostle Peter also talks about what we should hid in our hearts.
“But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.” (1 Pet. 3:4)
The Prophets And Apostles
We see in the bible documentations that the Prophets and the Apostles have secret places, secluded places, places hidden from the general view where they used to meditate and talk with the Lord.
“Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan.” (1 King 17:3)
Prophet Moses used to go to the mountain away from the general view of the people of Israel to talk with the Lord. (Exod. 32)
The disciples after Jesus ascension stayed in their closets away from the people of Jerusalem to commune with the Lord (Acts 1:13-2:1-4). Apostle Paul talked of what he did when he believed by going to a secluded place to commune with God before coming to join the apostles to be working in the vineyard of the Lord.
“Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I
went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus.
“Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days.” (Gal. 1:17-18)
It is a good thing if we also have secluded place, a place where we would be talking with our God and maker alone. A place where we would be pouring out our hearts unto him. Such a place Jesus said it could be our room.
“And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love
to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they
may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
“But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.” (Matt. 6:5-6)
For someone who has been on the look out for the secret place of another person, when the person discovers such secret place by any means, the person will not want to leave the place if the place is a kind of place that could offer safety.
Shadow
Shadow cannot be formed with apparent objects, shadows are formed when and where there is a real object. These rays of light would fall on this real object and some would be reflected along the path they have come, with those above the object passing over the object. However, those rays that are reflected would be formed as shadow of the object.
With this at the back of our minds this shows that the “secret place of the Most High” is a reality, it is not an apparent thing. It is because it is real that is why it could form a shadow for those dwelling in the place.
We know that when a shadow of an object is formed, the shadow cannot be separated from the object, wherever the object goes the shadow goes, whatever new position the object takes like the unicellular organisms that do take different shapes, the shadow will take that same position when being formed.
This means that the shadow is not of itself, the shadow is not a mirage, it is not an imaginative figment in the mind of the author of this Psalms, but it is a reality.
Since this shadow is a real thing because the object forming the shadow itself is real, therefore for the so-called person to continually be under this shadow, the person needs to be dwelling there. In other words, this shadow won’t be formed for someone who resides in the secret place of the Most High this second and leaves the place seconds after.
Since shadow does not form in isolation from the object and moves wherever the object moves to, it makes sense to say that those who will be under this shadow are those who are in the secret place of the Most High. This is saying that this kind of person lives in the secluded place of the Most High, he resides where others cannot reside, he resides where others do not know but which is opened unto God alone. This place that he resides in is the place where he communes with God now and then, talks with him always, where he knows his mind, where he gets wisdom and knowledge from him.
“He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.” (Psa. 91:1)
This shadow is the inseparable companion of the person who dwells at the secluded place of the Lord, the person who keeps in his heart those things that the Lord wants.
Importance of This Shadow
· Shadow is a form of shelter for people. I remembered those days when I used to walk to and from school, in the afternoon when sun is at the center of the firmament and shinning with great intensity, biting us (me and friends) harder whenever we get to where a tree is planted on the road we shall wait there a bit, rest there before we continue to walk home. The tree provides shelter for us through the shadow it has formed.
This person who dwells in God’s secret place is receiving shelter of the Most High no sun of the enemy shall smite the person by day
“The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.” (Psa. 121:6)
· It accompanies the person wherever the person goes. You will recall that woman was created for the man because the man had no suitable companion, a companion like him in the garden of Eden.
“And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him.” (Gen. 2:20)
“Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man.” (1 Cor. 11:9)
This shadow does not leave the person without a companion, the person will always hear voice speaking to them of how to walk.
“And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.” (Isa. 30:21)
· This shadow reveals to the person how big the Most High is. You will not know how big your God is if you do not dwell under his shadow. When a tent or canopy is put up during a sunny day the extent of his shadow would be seen when the sun is up and high. Then those who put up the tent would see the shadow getting to some places they do not think it would get to thus preventing the rays of the sunshine from coming in direct contact with them. It is at this juncture, when the sun is up that those people who put up the canopy will know how big, how vast the canopy is. It is when you come in contact with God, it is when you are dwelling in God’s secret place that you will know how big the Most High is.
· A person under canopy may at the initial not know its importance until the sun comes out of the rain started to fall. Sometimes we may not know how importance it is to be dwelling in the secret place of the Most High God until rains of this world started falling, or until sun of this world gets hotter on the inhabitants of the world. How do I mean by this? What I mean is we sometimes do not know how important it is to be in the Lord until problems started surfacing, when those problems, trials and troubles began, and we are being protected by the Lord God because we dwell in his secret place it is then we will know how importance this shadow is.
“Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
“And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
“And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:
“And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.” (Matt. 7:24-27)
The rain that descended, the flood that came, the winds that blew and beat upon the house in the above illustration that Jesus made, they are situations that one cannot but come across in the world. As those happen to those who do not know the believers so do they happen to those who believe.
When those things that all cannot but experience started to happen, when those who are not dwelling in the secret place of the Most High are being consumed by those things, those who are dwelling in the secret place of the Most High would be preserved and protected. It is when they see that they are being protected that they will know the importance of this shadow.
· The shadow shows the outline features of what is forming the shadow. When someone who abides under the shadow of the Almighty sees different make up of what forms the shadow the person would likely be at rest. Take as instance, if the person sees something like weapons of war being part of what forms the shadow the person will know that he is sure protected where he is.
“The LORD is a man of war: the LORD is his name.” (Exod. 15:3)
· This shadow differentiates the Most High from those little gods, the unreal gods that people are running to, this is because those have no shadow, they cannot form any shadow because they are apparent in nature.
How to Get to This Secret Place
For this shadow to be formed on you, you need to be dwelling in the secret place of the Most High. I have tried to define and explain the secret and secret place above. From the above explanations, we see that people will do research to know what as well as where the secret place of a person is and after discovering that secret place they would not leave the place again most especially if they discover that they would benefit from such place.
The bible through prophet Jeremiah says that when we search for God he has promised to show himself unto us if we sought for him with all our hearts.
“And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.” (Jer. 29:13)
Human beings have desired for God’s secret place for long, and he has revealed his secret place to us all through his son Jesus Christ. Jesus says, “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6)
For you and me to get God’s secret place too, we need to get to Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the secret place of God revealed to mankind. God’s secret place has been hidden for ages from mankind, but when Jesus appeared in the world he revealed the secret place of the Lord to us all. The onus is now on us to accept this secret place and start living there.
What do we need to do to accept the secret place of God? All that we need to do is repent of our sins, forsake those sins and accept Jesus Christ into our lives as our Lord and savior, when we do this we would be accepted of God and we shall from thence be dwelling in God’s secret place.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)
“Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12)
Have you accepted Jesus Christ into your life? If you are yet to accept Jesus into your life you need to do that now, because Jesus is the secret place of the Most High.
As I said in the introductory part of this write up that I view this as if a senior prophet is communing with a younger prophet or Holy Spirit is communing with a believer, one of his’. The verse two of this book of Psalms says, “I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.” (Psa. 91:2).
The young prophet on seeing the importance of dwelling in this secret place says, he has no problem again seeing that the Lord is his covering, seeing that the Lord is his shadow, his refuge and his fortress. He caps it up by saying he will trust in him. He can say this because he has understood the importance, the meaning of dwelling in God’s secret place. We can as well say as this man said if we have understood what this verse is saying, we can say this if we have indeed given our lives to Jesus Christ. We can say this if we have not deviated from following God through Jesus Christ.
The man said I will trust him. It is what one trusts that one tells people about. It is what one trusts that one is not ashamed of. Do you really trust the Lord?
What is Trust?
Cambridge online dictionary defines trust as “to believe that someone is good and honest and will not harm you, or that something is safe and reliable”. Forerunner bible commentary says, “trust is the most powerful fruit, the strongest, clearest evidence, of belief. Trust is faith in action, setting a truly converted person apart from one who believes only intellectually. The Christian must live his life by faith”. A believer in God must live his life absolutely for the Lord God. Living your life for the Lord shows your reliance on him, your absolute belief in his leaderships and that he will always be honest with you in all his dealings with you without reservations. This trust is showing that you believe that whatsoever God does for you as you rely on him is not for your evil though what happened to you may look “evil” in nature, look bad such a one that people will think ought not to happen to the children of God. But you will know such is not to harm you but rather to protect you and above all you will be able to say as Paul the apostle said in the book of Romans 8 verse 28 that, “and we (I) know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose” this that is happening or all that has happened, I know it is working for my good.
Trust is again defined by Google as “firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone or something”. Let us see some clarifications made by a writer, Sarah Cy, on this trust. She tells us what trust is not and then what trust is in one of her articles.
What Trust in God is Not
Trust in God does NOT mean that you believe everything will go the way you want it to, and it does. This is because if this is true, then God’s children would be the most envious people on earth. But obviously, believers trust doesn’t go like that for believers suffer for their believe in some parts of the world while some are being murdered for their faith. “Some people think that “believing in” God does entitle them to a problem-free life, and if they have problems, that must mean they don’t have enough faith or something.” But the Bible contradicts that idea.
“In this world, you will have trouble,” Jesus once said. (emphasis added) And a lot of the most Godly characters in the Bible suffered tremendously. God did perform many miracles, but he did not miraculously protect all His people from everything: Joseph was wrongly accused of rape and spent years languishing in a prison for nothing. Ruth lost her husband and became a poor peasant in a foreign land far from home. All but one of Jesus’ closest friends were tortured and murdered for talking about Him, and the one who survived was banished to an isolated island in his old age. In the end, suffering and pain is something everyone must face, whether you trust in God or not.
Trust in God does not mean God will explain everything that is going on in your life
God didn’t answer Job when he asked, “Why me?” you need to know that God doesn’t owe you an explanation when life is painful and confusing. When, bad things happen — really, really bad things — many of us are tempted to ask why. Some of us get a kind of answer…many of us never do. I won’t advise you to necessarily stop asking entirely, because maybe your specific situation is one of those that will get an answer. But I am saying that if you don’t get an explanation, don’t be surprised.
Trust in God is not “Amor Fati”. The online Wikipedia says this about Amor-fati, “Amor fati (lit. "love of fate") is a Latin phrase that may be translated as "love of fate" or "love of one's fate". It is used to describe an attitude in which one sees everything that happens in one's life, including suffering and loss, as good or, at the very least, necessary, in that they are among the facts of one's life and existence, so they are always necessarily there whether one likes them or not. Moreover, amor fati is characterized by an acceptance of the events or situations that occur in one's life.
“This acceptance does not necessarily preclude an attempt at change or improvement, but rather, it can be seen to be along the lines of what Friedrich Nietzsche apparently means by the concept of "eternal recurrence": a sense of contentment with one's life and an acceptance of it, such that one could live exactly the same life, in all its minute details, over and over for all eternity”
The unbelievers in Jesus mostly believe in this, “amor-fati”, that what would happen would happen, this does not show heart of trust in the Lord. The unbelievers just used this means to accept suffering and loss that may happen to them, most of the time they do not see this as working for their good because they are oblivion to this word of God as said by his apostle. It should also be noticed that this kind of utterance is mostly used when unbelievers are passing through unpalatable situations, ugly times and seasons. This is not the kind of trust the bible shows us, the believers in Jesus and we do not need to accept it.
What Trust in God Means
Sarah Cy says this about what it means to trust in the Lord.
i) Trust in God DOES mean that…
“No matter what happens, you will turn TO Him instead of away. That’s it.” This is what it means to trust in God.
· It does not matter whether people mock you for believing in what is not real, what is not stable, you will continue to trust in him,
· Even if you are passing through darkest moments of your life, and it is as if there would never be light again, you will still trust him,
· Even if life is not smiling at you despite the faith and reliance you have on God, you will still trust in him
How Does Trust Come?
I. Through Proving Prove is defined by online Cambridge dictionary as “to show a particular result after a period of time”. The young teenager called David in the bible had to tell the king of the land, King Saul, that he could trust in the Yahweh because of the result he had while interacting with him in the wilderness while shepherding the flock of the family. During those times he had no weapons of war other than the sling and the staff. With these he could improvise to silence and kill the dangerous animals that arose against the animals he was shepherding and taken them off those animals the sheep they had taken. He emphasized to the king that this happened not once, but twice according to him. Thus, if this could happen twice, it means it was not a co-incidence, it means God is with him. And the God who did that in the time past would not do anything less than that today, much so that this has to do with his people, the Lord will have to be jealous over his name, the Lord will have to protect his name today and now and silence the uncircumcised philistine that has been roaring against the people of God for a while.
“And David said to Saul, Let no man's heart fail because of him; thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine.
“And Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him: for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth.
“And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father's sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock:
“And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him.
“Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God.
“David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the LORD be with thee.
“And Saul armed David with his armour, and he put an helmet of brass upon his head; also he armed him with a coat of mail.
“And David girded his sword upon his armour, and he assayed to go; for he had not proved it. And David said unto Saul, I cannot go with these; for I have not proved them. And David put them off him.” (1 Sam. 17:32-39)
The teenager David showed the people through his experience, through his words of defense what the Lord had done in the past and for that he has come to implicitly trust Yahweh, he was telling them that it was not folklores the stories heard about their fore-parents, that the Lord is still able to do greater things. For this reason, he could not go and confront the Philistine with the armour being put on him by king David he went only with the things he has known about and which he has proved.
II. Through Relationship
Relationship is defined by online Cambridge dictionary as “the way in which two or more companies, countries, or people behave towards each other”. Through the way a person interacts with you, you can know if the person is angry or happy. Through the way and manner of talking of some people those who have been familiar with them could arrive at some conclusions about them. Couples who are in accordance could predict and predict right what his or her spouse’s reaction shall be to a certain situation because of the way they have been interacting with one another in the past. From this means of behavior people have been known to trust one another.
Apostle Paul having been interacting with God for years since he gave his life to Jesus Christ says, that, “and we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” (Rom. 8:28). He could say this because of the relationship he has had with God.
III. Through Test
Test is “a way of discovering, by questions or practical activities, what someone knows, or what someone or something can do or is like”. Through this means one can also trust someone else. In the same way through this means we can also trust in the Lord God. It is through this means that Gideon trusted in the Lord that the people of Israel would be delivered through him.
“And Gideon said unto God, If thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said,
“Behold, I will put a fleece of wool in the floor; and if the dew be on the fleece only, and it be dry upon all the earth beside, then shall I know that thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said.
“And it was so: for he rose up early on the morrow, and thrust the fleece together, and wringed the dew out of the fleece, a bowl full of water.
“And Gideon said unto God, Let not thine anger be hot against me, and I will speak but this once: let me prove, I pray thee, but this once with the fleece; let it now be dry only upon the fleece, and upon all the ground let there be dew.
“And God did so that night: for it was dry upon the fleece only, and there was dew on all the ground.” (Judg. 6:36-40)
As we, humans, test God before we can rely on him, in the same wise do God test us to know if we are the kind of children that he can rely on to carry out his will on earth. He tested father Abraham before he started telling him hidden things of the world, what he was about to do.
“And the LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do;
“Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?
“For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.” (Gen. 18:17-19)
Before God starts to release secret things of the world, of yourself, of the future unto you, he will have to test you. It is after he has tested you that he will rely on you that I have found someone in whom all my will shall be fulfilled. Will you pass God’s tests?
IV. From Recommendation
Recommendation is “a suggestion that something is good or suitable for a particular purpose or job”. Because God recommended Bezaleel unto Prophet Moses, Prophet Moses trusted him to do the job God has commissioned to be carried out.
“And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
“See, I have called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah:
“And I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship,” (Exod. 31:1-3)
Huram the king of Tyre, recommended Hiram to King Solomon when he was building the temple for Yahweh, because the recommendation came from the king who loved King Solomon, King Solomon believed and trusted the person and handed over the word unto the person’s hands.
“And now I have sent a cunning man, endued with understanding, of Huram my father's,
“The son of a woman of the daughters of Dan, and his father was a man of Tyre, skilful to work in gold, and in silver, in brass, in iron, in stone, and in timber, in purple, in blue, and in fine linen, and in crimson; also to grave any manner of graving, and to find out every device which shall be put to him, with thy cunning men, and with the cunning men of my lord David thy father.” (2 Chron. 2:13-14)
Some people have been married based on recommendation of someone else. Some people have changed their business based on someone else’s recommendation. Some have been blessed based on someone else’s recommendation. There are people who got healed based on another person’s recommendation. We have a lot of people who have become saved based on recommendation of another person. The Samaritan woman based on her recommendation of Jesus Christ pulled many to Christ. (John 1:39-47; 2:5; 4:28-30)
V. Through Experience
The experience apostle Peter had with Jesus helped him in trusting him the more, this experience was put into use when he was invited by the brethren of the death of a woman, Dorcas. (Acts 8)
The Cambridge Dictionary says, experience is “(the process of getting) knowledge or skill from doing, seeing, or feeling things”, online Wikipedia clarifies this further by saying, “experience is the knowledge or mastery of an event or subject gained through involvement in or exposure to it. Terms in philosophy such as "empirical knowledge" or "a posteriori knowledge" are used to refer to knowledge based on experience. A person with considerable experience in a specific field can gain a reputation as an expert. The concept of experience generally refers to know-how or procedural knowledge, rather than propositional knowledge: on-the-job training rather than book-learning.”
The experience of apostle Peter and other apostles helped them while ministering and teaching the people the gospel after the ascension of Jesus.
“And it came to pass in those days, that she was sick, and died: whom when they had washed, they laid her in an upper chamber.
“And forasmuch as Lydda was nigh to Joppa, and the disciples had heard that Peter was there, they sent unto him two men, desiring him that he would not delay to come to them.
“Then Peter arose and went with them. When he was come, they brought him into the upper chamber: and all the widows stood by him weeping, and shewing the coats and garments which Dorcas made, while she was with them.
“But Peter put them all forth, and kneeled down, and prayed; and turning him to the body said, Tabitha, arise. And she opened her eyes: and when she saw Peter, she sat up.
“And he gave her his hand, and lifted her up, and when he had called the saints and widows, presented her alive.” (Acts 9: 39-41)
See what Jesus did in the Gospel according to saint Mark.
“And they laughed him to scorn. But when he had put them all out, he taketh the father and the mother of the damsel, and them that were with him, and entereth in where the damsel was lying.
“And he took the damsel by the hand, and said unto her, Talitha cumi; which is, being interpreted, Damsel, I say unto thee, arise.
“And straightway the damsel arose, and walked; for she was of the age of twelve years. And they were astonished with a great astonishment.” (Mar. 5:40-42)
The exact same thing, apostle Peter did here and brought the dead woman to life by the Spirit and the Power of God. From the experience had with Jesus he was confident and have trust that this could be done.
From your experience with someone, you can either trust the person or not.
VI. From The Scriptures
What the Jews read in the book of the law give them trust in the Lord. Most of the times if not always, they based their prayers on what they read from the book of the law to put God to remembrance of the need to fulfil his part of the deal and answer their prayers.
“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
“Now mine eyes shall be open, and mine ears attent unto the prayer that is made in this place.
“For now have I chosen and sanctified this house, that my name may be there for ever: and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually.” (2 Chron. 7:14-16)
What we read from the scriptures give us trust in the Lord that he will do something for us if we talk to him as our father and if what we ask from him is in accordance with his will.
VII. Through The Voice of God
So many prophets in the bible after hearing the voice of the Lord trusted in the Lord God. Hearing the voice of God makes man to trust in God.
“For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.” (Rom 4:3)
VIII. Through Introduction
Introduction is defined as “the action of telling someone another person's name the first time that they meet”. King Pharaoh pf Egypt was confused and disturbed of the dream he dreamt. He sought for interpretations to the dream but none could offer it among the wise men that was in the land of Egypt, then he called all the cabinet together to see if anyone could offer him solution to this mind boggling issue, it was then that one of his chiefs remembered Joseph and made mention of his name unto the king. The introduction of this man unto the king made the king trust that solution would come from Joseph and which did happen according to history and the scriptures.
“And it came to pass in the morning that his spirit was troubled; and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt, and all the wise men thereof: and Pharaoh told them his dream; but there was none that could interpret them unto Pharaoh.
“Then spake the chief butler unto Pharaoh, saying, I do remember my faults this day:
“Pharaoh was wroth with his servants, and put me in ward in the captain of the guard's house, both me and the chief baker:
“And we dreamed a dream in one night, I and he; we dreamed each man according to the interpretation of his dream.
“And there was there with us a young man, an Hebrew, servant to the captain of the guard; and we told him, and he interpreted to us our dreams; to each man according to his dream he did interpret.
“And it came to pass, as he interpreted to us, so it was; me he restored unto mine office, and him he hanged.
“Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon: and he shaved himself, and changed his raiment, and came in unto Pharaoh.” (Gen. 41:8-14)
Through introduction, King Jehoshaphat trusted in prophet Elisha (2 Kings 3: 11 ff), through introduction, the kings of Babylon trusted in Daniel and make inquiries of him of what the meanings of their dreams were (Dan. 5-6). When a person is being introduced unto us by a reputable person, we will trust the person.
IX. Through Interactions
Through the interactions that the chief Butler had with Joseph while in the prison he trusted him and could recommend him at the high place, the palace, where and when it mattered. (Gen. 41)
Though Jesus ministry was barely starting when he and his disciples were invited to the wedding ceremony in Cana of Galilee, and when they got there, his mother for the interaction she had had with her son trusted him and asked the people to trust her son, “whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.” (John 2:5) She told the people when there was no wine again.
These are some of the ways that trust could come. We also need to make the Most High our trust in all things that we do.
Benefits of Trusting Him
After we have put our trust in the Lord, he also promises us the followings
a) Deliverance from two things is assured
i. Snare of the fowler and
ii. From noisome pestilence
Let us see these two promises
i. Deliverance From The Snare of The Fowler
The bible says,
“Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.” (Psa. 91:3) (KJV)
Good News Translation With Apocrypha translates this verse as “He will keep you safe from all hidden dangers and from all deadly diseases.” (Psa. 91:3) (GNTA)
In understanding this verse, we shall have to talk about the fowler and the snare using the ancient times as case studies. Fowler pronounced as foul'-er. It is yoqesh or yaqush in Hebrew. In the olden days when guns and other fire-arms have not been invented, there are professional bird-catchers, these people set traps for birds on the trees and on the land. The traps will be covered so that the birds or animals would not see it, until they entered into it and could not leave again.
Snare is defined as “a device for catching small animals, usually with a rope or wire that tightens around the animal” or “a trick or situation that deceives you or involves you in some problem that you do not know about”.
When hunters set traps (or snare) for animals in the bush, they will cover those traps up, it could be covered with leaves, or some small dusts will be sprinkled on the trap so that the animals would not see it, and something that the animals love to eat would be put on the trap. When the animal gets to the site, where the trap has been set and the animal wants to settle down to be eating what is on the trap, and or sometimes would have actually settled down to be eating what it is that has been placed as a bait on the trap, it is just then that the trap will close up on the animal or swirl round the animal in case of ropes on trees. The animal will not be able to leave the spot again until the fowler (or the one who sets the trap) to either kill the animal there if the animal is yet to be dead and it is a dangerous animal within the trap or remove the trap and put the animal inside a cage or something if the animal is not a dangerous one.
In some instances, in this part of the world, Yoruba land, in Nigeria, when a hunter or a farmer sets a trap, it would put a sign there to prevent himself from entering into such trap. As I said above the traps (or snares) are usually covered up to prevent the animals from seeing it as a trap. Some of the covered traps sometimes would not catch animal for long and the hunter or farmer who have set it may have forgotten or may be in a hurry to leave the farm and he would be caught by the very trap he has set. Therefore, some signs are usually being placed around the area to put the person who set the trap in remembrance always that something is here, it is a trap.
However, for thieves or some people who are just passing by that farm and who are not careful enough, those who are not watching their steps, they often walk into such traps without knowing.
From the above we shall see that traps set are hidden things and with the bait puts on it, this will attract the animal and the animal would unknowingly walk into it and become stuck in the position. This is what the Israel enemies do those days.
“Then the king of Syria warred against Israel, and took counsel with his servants, saying, In such and such a place shall be my camp.
“And the man of God sent unto the king of Israel, saying, Beware that thou pass not such a place; for thither the Syrians are come down.
“And the king of Israel sent to the place which the man of God told him and warned him of, and saved himself there, not once nor twice.
“Therefore the heart of the king of Syria was sore troubled for this thing; and he called his servants, and said unto them, Will ye not shew me which of us is for the king of Israel?” (2 Kings 6: 8-11)
We can see from the above account that the enemies of Israel have planned where they will set their ambush at so that Israel would enter into it unknowingly, but they were saved at the instructions of prophet Elisha not once or twice. The king of Syria who is the general and the commandant was worried, and he called his servants to know who among them was spying for the Israel army.
One of them replied him that they were all loyal to him but the secret he divulges to them were being revealed by God unto prophet Elisha who will tell it unto his political leader, the king of Israel.
“And one of his servants said, None, my lord, O king: but Elisha, the prophet that is in Israel, telleth the king of Israel the words that thou speakest in thy bedchamber.” (2 Kings 6:12)
King of Syria could not believe what he heard and he asked that the prophet be spied upon and be arrested.
“And he said, Go and spy where he is, that I may send and fetch him. And it was told him, saying, Behold, he is in Dothan.
“Therefore sent he thither horses, and chariots, and a great host: and they came by night, and compassed the city about.
“And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do?” (2 Kings 6:13-15)
The soldiers of Syria did this, but the God who has used his servant to save the entire nation will neither leave nor forsake his servant as such his servant was delivered from the soldiers of Syria.
This was a form of physical snare unto the people of God, the Israelites those days. The writer was using this to tell them that God would save them from any form of traps set by the enemies. For them to understand what the writer was saying he used fowler because some of them also set traps for the birds of the air.
In the time of apostle Paul this was akin to what the Jews who antagonizes the Gospel planned to do unto him, but he was delivered by God because he let the secret to be revealed to apostle Paul’s nephew who tell it unto apostle Paul of the need to be-careful because a snare (or trap) has been set for him. What apostle Paul’s nephew told him, he asked him to tell it unto the captain and he was saved from the snare.
“And when it was day, certain of the Jews banded together, and bound themselves under a curse, saying that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul.
“And they were more than forty which had made this conspiracy.
“And they came to the chief priests and elders, and said, We have bound ourselves under a great curse, that we will eat nothing until we have slain Paul.
“Now therefore ye with the council signify to the chief captain that he bring him down unto you to morrow, as though ye would enquire something more perfectly concerning him: and we, or ever he come near, are ready to kill him.
“And when Paul's sister's son heard of their lying in wait, he went and entered into the castle, and told Paul.
“Then Paul called one of the centurions unto him, and said, Bring this young man unto the chief captain: for he hath a certain thing to tell him.
“So he took him, and brought him to the chief captain, and said, Paul the prisoner called me unto him, and prayed me to bring this young man unto thee, who hath something to say unto thee.
“Then the chief captain took him by the hand, and went with him aside privately, and asked him, What is that thou hast to tell me?
“And he said, The Jews have agreed to desire thee that thou wouldest bring down Paul to morrow into the council, as though they would enquire somewhat of him more perfectly.
“But do not thou yield unto them: for there lie in wait for him of them more than forty men, which have bound themselves with an oath, that they will neither eat nor drink till they have killed him: and now are they ready, looking for a promise from thee.
“So the chief captain then let the young man depart, and charged him, See thou tell no man that thou hast shewed these things to me.” (Acts 23: 12-22)
These days too, this is what the devil does unto God’s children. He will set a trap along our paths so that we shall fall into it. We have heard of trap being set by some ladies for good believers of Jesus just to tarnish their images and reputation in the society. In the same way have we heard of traps being set by some unscrupulous men for some ladies of faith to tarnish their images.
Unfortunately, some fell into such snare after taking the bait put there to lure them into the snare.
From something like this and even others more deadly than this, he promises to save us from them if and only if we have an implicit trust in the Most High.
ii. From Noisome Pestilence
Pulpit commentary says this of this (b) part “from all dangers whatsoever - not more from these than from others.” Sermon Writer commentary says, the word used for “pestilence” here is called “deber” in Hebrew (v. 3b) which means “plague or pestilence”. This shows how deadly the plague is. Barnes in his own note on this verse says, “he (the Most High) can prevent its (the deadly plague) coming upon you; or, he can save you from its ravages, while others are dying around you. This promise is not to be understood as absolute, or as meaning that no one who fears God will ever fall by the pestilence - for good people "do" die at such times as well as bad people; but the idea is, that God "can" preserve us at such a time and that, as a great law, he will be thus the protector of those who trust him.”
It is no gain saying that medicine and medical researchers have helped the world a lot, in the sense that many of the plagues ravaging the world in the time past are not common these days, that is why some believers could not picture well what this place is saying the enmeshed promises in this verse for those who implicitly trust in the Most High.
To view this if some of us have been to where poverty is their “watchword” in the world, we shall notice that there are plagues and pestilence in those areas and because of poverty, ignorance and illiteracy such plagues kill in thousands of people living in those areas. Sometimes such poverty would come in form of epidemics to people in such regions killing them. But for believers of the gospel living in such places, this promise is for them, that they shall certainly be delivered from such deadly incidents not because of their self-righteousness neither because of their prayers nor any good deeds of theirs’, but because they have chosen to implicitly trust in the Most High, the Almighty.
For those of us who are living in areas where plagues have become histories, the Bible in Basic English puts the (b) part of the verse like this “He will … keep you safe from wasting disease.” (BBE)
From online Wikipedia, “wasting in medicine, also known as wasting syndrome, refers to the process by which a debilitating disease causes muscle and fat tissue to "waste" away. Wasting can be caused by an extremely low energy intake (e.g., caused by famine), nutrient losses due to infection, or a combination of low intake and high loss. Infections and conditions associated with wasting include tuberculosis, chronic diarrhea, AIDS, and superior mesenteric artery syndrome. Caretakers and health providers can sometimes contribute to wasting if the patient is placed on an improper diet.” MedlinePlus (online medical documentary) adds that wasting disease also includes Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and several other diseases caused by prions, including: Chronic wasting disease; Heart failure; Diabetes and Celiac Disease (Gluten Intolerance Group); Diabetes; Crohn’s disease etc.
From these kinds of diseases, the believer will be protected and delivered.
b) Protection
Other promised benefits for those who implicitly trust in him shall be found in verse four of this Psalms (91)
“He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler”. (Psa. 91:4)
This verse of the scriptures, verse four, is talking about protection, it is telling us that, He, God, will not deliver us and leave us alone but he shall cover and protect us.
The shield in this verse in Hebrew is called, “tsinnah (tsin-naw')” which have the followings as meanings
1) something piercing, hook, barb
1a) meaning dubious
2) coolness, cold (of snow)
3) shield, large shield, buckler
3a) shield
Hook: to use something like a hook, or to put something so that it is supported at one end and hangs.
On another hand, buckler in Hebrew is “cocherah (so-khay-raw')” something surrounding the person, the root word is “cachar (saw-khar')”1) to go around, go about, travel about in, go about in trade 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to go about to and fro (in business) 1a2) trader, trafficker (participle) 1b) (Pilpel) to palpitateA shield is a piece of personal armour held in the hand or mounted on the wrist or forearm. Shields are used to intercept specific attacks, whether from close-ranged weaponry or projectiles such as arrows, by means of active blocks, as well as to provide passive protection by closing one or more lines of engagement during combat. It is very large or broad than buckler.
It also shows status of the person in the olden days, it shows it the person is married or the leader of the team.
A buckler (French bouclier 'shield', from Old French bocle, boucle 'boss') is a small shield, up to 45 cm (up to 18 in) in diameter, gripped in the fist with a central handle behind the boss. While being used in Europe since antiquity, it became more common as a companion weapon in hand-to-hand combat during the Medieval and Renaissance periods. Its size made it poor protection against missile weapons (e.g., arrows) but useful in deflecting the blow of an opponent's weapons, binding his arms or hindering his movements. This is more or less ceremonial.
Using the meanings to bring out something from this verse we see that the Lord is saying that he says his truth shall be like a big protector, something that would be protecting us, believers from specific arrows that the enemies may have shot at us. His truth shall be something with a hook that we can hang on to always for protection against the wiles of the enemies. As he gives us something to hang on to in his shield he adds that he will also give us something move-able, something that we can be moving to and fro for protection.
Take as instance in this present world, we have a house where we do resort to at night, or after strenuous work from offices or whichever things we are doing. Apart from houses that we can resort to at night to put up our heads there, God has given some people the intellect and wisdom to build cars, these cars we can drive around in the day-time, these cars will protect us from scorching sun, from terrible winds that may be blowing during the day time. Before the invention of cars we know that people use umbrella for protection while walking in the daytime.
What I want us to see in the two protectors God promised unto believers by this author is that he gives us a stationary one which he expects us all as believers to hang unto as well as give us a mobile one, the one we can go around with every time such that we would not be harmed by the enemies.
Jesus Christ while on earth and interacting with the devil, I mean when he was being tempted by the devil used both the specific as well as the mobile protectors to defend himself from the raging wiles of the devil. If Jesus whom we follow could do this he is not expecting anything less from us these days.
It is however of paramount importance for us to know on what these protectors hang from this scripture, and we shall see that these protectors are directly related to “his truth”. These protectors hang on or are hooked to his truth. The level of the truth one knows is the level of the protection one will receive.
As this author has been using hunter as illustration for the Jews in this book, I want to draw my explanation using the hunters in my land as example. The hunters in my land believes that the more knowledge he has about “incantations” would be the extent to which he can be protected from enemies and dangerous animals in the wilderness when he goes on hunting. This is because they believe that some animals, particularly dangerous ones in the wilderness can be used (manipulated) by their enemies through demonic means to attack them as the devil used serpent in the garden of Eden to make the man to sin against God. The more “light” the hunter has on “incantations”, the more would be the protection he will receive from his god in the wilderness.
Taking a cue from this, we also shall recall that apostle Paul says, “and no marvel; for Satan
himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if
his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end
shall be according to their works.” (2 Cor. 11:14-15) before anyone can be able to
confront someone who has been changing positions, transforming himself from one color to
colour to another, such a one too must have some gimmicks or what is needful to face the thing. This verse is saying before we can receive adequate protection, we need the shield that is hooked to the truth, we need a buckler that is hinged on the truth.
The bible has not hidden from us whom the truth is, the truth is Jesus Christ. To get this truth, to get Jesus Christ, we need his word in us richly as the hunter in my land needs the knowledge of “incantations” to be able to withstand dangerous enemies.
“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6)
“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.” (Col. 3:16)
The more the truth we know through the word of God dwelling in us, the more the protection we shall receive. The more the truth we know through the word of God, the more we shall be able to hook to these protectors: spiritual shield and buckler and the more these protectors shall defend us from the enemies within and without.
c) Boldness: The third benefit that can be enjoyed by trusting in the Lord is boldness. It is defined as a brave and confident way of behaving that shows no fear. We shall see this from verses 5 and 6 of the chapter under focus.
“Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;
“Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.” (Psa. 91:5-6)
Trusting in the Lord brings uncommon bravery whether in the night or during the day time. When some are having insomnia, when some cannot operate freely either in the night or in the day for fear, fear of what would happen to them, fear of what the enemies will do, such would not be our lot because we have trusted in him and he has made his truth to become our shield and buckler.
For the uncommon protection received from God we shall entertain no fear whatsoever.
1. Habitation: Making God Your Habitation
Making the Lord our habitation (which is act of living in a place) is the following thing we must do after trusting God. Some trust Him but they do not make Him their habitation. For anyone that makes God his/her habitation they will experience and enjoy what the bible said in this chapter.
·- The person who makes it an act of living with the Lord will only be seeing what will be happening to the evil people. Sometimes though some terrible things do happen to those people who believe in the Lord just as it did happen to Job, but God knows how to make way for those people in those circumstances.
“A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.
“Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.” (Psa. 91:7-8)
The author of this book is painting a picture for us like what happened during the days of Noah after Noah and seven others had entered the Ark. The people in the Ark will likely be looking at what was happening to those who refused to enter the ark when they were being told to enter the ark.
When we make it an act of living in the Lord, God would be our house while we shall be seeing what is happening to people from the windows of the house, we are living in. These will happen because we have made the Lord our habitation.
“Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation” (Psa. 91:9)
· With time we shall understand why some things happen to people in the habitation where we are in. As the case of Job was, you know at the initial no one could comprehend why what happened to Job had to happen, but later on when God talked to Job’s friends that they were mistaken in their examination and resolutions of what happened to Job they come to the understanding of the incident and such opened the eyes of believers that it is not always sin that caused troubles to believers, in some instances it may be an assessment from God. The friends of Job could see this. The seeing here means understanding, coming to reasoning, apprehending what happened and why it happened.
In instances like that, with time, and since we are living with him, I mean in his habitation, we shall understand what has happened and why such has happened.
· Living in a blood marked house gives us sure protection as it happened to the Israelites in the land of Egypt. See what the bible says,
“There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.” (Psa. 91:10)
When the Lord was fighting with the enemies of his people who did not want them to go, the pinnacle of the fight was when he told his servant that they need to put blood at the entrance of all the houses of the children of Israel. After this has been done, evil though ransacked the entire nation of Egypt but it never got to the abode of the people of God because they were under his protection, they were living in houses that have been marked by the blood. If any of the children of Israel for whatever reasons went out that night to go and visit the Egyptian and did not return to any of the houses that have been marked by blood and the person happened to be a first child, such a one would have been killed by the angel of death as it killed all the first born in the land, animals not exempted.
“And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it.
“For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD.
“And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.” (Exod. 12: 7, 12-13)
In as much as we continue to live in that house, in as much as we continue to abide with him, he has promised that no evil will come nigh us.
· Angels will always be on duty on our lives
“For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.
“They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.” (Psa. 91:11-12)
The above verses show that the Lord will always give the angels command to ensure our safety. “Charge” is defined as responsibility for the control of something or the care of someone. Our God would give the angels the responsibility to ensure that we are always safe. We shall be protected against known and unknown injuries.
· Our implicit trust in the Lord will earn us something, and what it will earn us is the power over demons.
“Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.” (Psa. 91:13)
When the disciples were with Jesus, they had some measures of power which Jesus warned them on departure that it will not be enough for the task ahead of them as such he asked them to wait until they will be endued with power from on high.
“And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.” (Luk. 24:49)
Waiting until they will be endued if inserted into the verse of the habitation, verse 9, we shall see that it means they should live with him, they should be under his roof for when they live with him such happens.
This is the promise, when we also live with Jesus Christ, he will sure give us power to tread on snakes and scorpions and other deadly things of the world.
“Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.” (Luke 10:19)
When the devil targets us, sending different arrows, bringing dangerous things along our paths they would not have effect on us because we have been empowered to tread on them.
“No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.” (Isa. 54:17)
3. Loving God
“Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.” (Psa. 91:14)
Trusting something does not mean one loves the thing. Some people suffering from chronic diseases and who are always on drugs or medications some of them do not love drugs, but they have been compelled to be taken those drugs to keep themselves up and running.
The person that promises to trust in the Lord Most High as seen in the first verse may not love him, but the person has however put his trust in him because of what he shall benefit from him.
I want us to know that until we love God we have not started. Until we love God above everything in the world, we have not done anything substantial because the heathen and unbelievers also trust in God through their deities. Some of them will say whatever they do must pass through God and nothing can be done if God hasn’t approved it. Yet, they barely love that God because all they do are contrary to the will of the Lord.
Consider the story of Balaam in the book of Numbers chapters 22-24, Balaam telling the servants sent by king Balak that he wants to go and consult God first does not mean he loved God for doing that, but he though wants to do that to be on the safer side.
That is how some people are. Many a one who claim to trust in the Lord does not love him but they though trust in him because they wanted protection, they wanted deliverance as the author of the book has stated.
We therefore need to get to the stage of loving God above all things in the world, such that we can say as apostle Paul said, if we live, we live for the Lord and if we die we die for the Lord.
“For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's.” (Rom. 14:8)
Therefore, evaluate your heart, why do you trust the Most High is it because of what you want to get from him, because of protection from enemies and evils or because of the salvation of your soul?
Apostle John in his first letter said we do not love Him, but he was the one who first loved us.
“Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” (1 Jn. 4:10)
He expresses his love for all by sending his Son, Jesus Christ, to be the propitiation for humans’ sins, to calm him down.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)
As God loves us like this, he expects us to love him in return by giving our lives to Jesus Christ.
“We love him, because he first loved us.” (1 Jn. 4:19)
You therefore must love him if you are yet to so as to enjoy the full benefits he has for human kind.
4. Knowing his Name
“Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.” (Psa. 91:14)
If we really love him by giving him our hearts, he will be duty bound to deliver us, sometimes he will not send his angels to deliver us but will rather come himself. In the case of father Abraham, God himself had to appear unto him to seal the promise he had made with him that he will have a child through his wife, Sarah. (Gen. 18).
“And the LORD appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day;
“Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have
pleasure, my lord being old also?
“And the LORD said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a
surety bear a child, which am old?
“Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return unto thee,
according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.
“Then Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not; for she was afraid. And he said, Nay; but thou didst laugh.” (Gen. 18: 1, 12-15)
When Stephen one of the evangelists was at the point of death, angels were not sent to welcome him, but Jesus arose to welcome him home.
“But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory
of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,
“And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.” (Acts. 7:55-56)
Saul before his conversion thought what he was doing was right, but unknown to him that he was going about it all wrong, for him not to continue in that position Jesus appeared unto him on the way to Damascus to bring him back home, to set his feet on the right path, to ensure that he does not go about it all wrong again.
“And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about
him a light from heaven:
“And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutes
thou me?
“And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest:
it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.
“And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.” (Acts 9:3-6)
Ø How Exaltation Comes
A new king in the ancient day, from island Pade visited another island, Ajepe. When the new king got to this island and saw that many were the people who have come out to welcome him was moved and decided that he wants to make appreciable impact in the life of someone. To get this done, he said anyone who knows his real name would be given 2000 ounce of gold. The king thought there could be no one who will know his name in the island because hardly was he called by his name when he was young even within his island let alone another man’s island. He thought when no one gets the name he will then be forced to distribute the gold among the people.
No one could immediately get his name, but at last a young boy of about 12 years got the real name of this king. This young boy, Lifeyo, was the only male child of his aged parents. He was given birth to when his father was 88 years old and his mother 42 years old.
This old man, called Lifey, was a man of history, he used to tell his boy histories of several islands including theirs. Those stories have been shared with Lifey by his parent’s before they died, and he used to tell it to his son saying someone who does not know the history will not be able to appreciate nature and change.
When the young boy heard of what the new king said he decided that he would ask from his father when he gets home may be he would know what the real name of the new king was before being crowned.
He asked his father he knew anything about the prince of Pade. His father asked him what he wants to know about the king? He told him that he wants to know the real name of the new king before he became the king.
His father answered him that the name of the new king according to history is Ade-ife.
Lifeyo was elated to know the name of the new king and the following day he went to the king to tell him what his real name was.
The king was amazed that someone could get his real in Pade island for he has tried it in his island as well as in other islands asking people what his real name was but no one could tell what his real name was when he was yet a prince before becoming king and when there is no one to supply the answer he will simply share the bounty among the people of the island.
He asked his servants to give the boy 2000 ounce of gold. This was how the fortune of the family was changed.
This is a story about a worldly king, but the Most High who is the King of kings in this book is saying anyone who knows his name would be set on high. He said anyone who knows his real name would be taken from the ignominious position to honourable position as he says, “I will set him on high, because he hath known my name” (Psa. 91:14b).
Knowing is defined by free-online dictionary as “suggestive of secret or private knowledge about” someone or something. This means that the person who is in the secret place of the Most High is the person who needs to have secret and private knowledge about the Most High as well as his name.
The boy in the story has a kind of secret or private knowledge about the new king which many others do not have and this was why he could get price that the king said he would give unto anyone who passed the test.
God is also desirous of setting us on high, taking us to the honourable and reputable position if we can know him as well as his name. Do you know the name of God? Or maybe I should say, do you have some private knowledge about this God?
There are leaders in different countries all over the world. Many if not all those leaders are known by names by the people they lead as well as the people in other countries of the world, but people do not have private knowledge about them, people do not know their secrets.
This is not the kind of knowing that the Lord is talking about here, knowing him by name alone is not the kind of name he expects of us, but he is asking that we shall have private knowledge about him.
In having private knowledge about someone, one will have to be close with the person and that is why the issue of being in the secret place of the Most High opens this verse. If you and I are in his secret place, we shall indubitably have more knowledge yea, private knowledge about him and when this happens we shall be promoted.
The bible says in the book of Psalms that,
“For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south.
“But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another.” (Psa. 75:6-7)
The author of the book of first Samuel he adds that
“The LORD maketh poor, and maketh rich: he bringeth low, and lifteth up.
“He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth are the LORD'S, and he hath set the world upon them.” (1 Samuel 2:7-8)
From these bible verses we can see that it is the Lord who promotes, but before doing this we have to have secret and private knowledge about him as the book of Psalms 91 said, we must be in his secret place, we must know his name.
Ø Calling Upon His name
The next verse, which is verse 15 tells us that the person who has secret knowledge about the Most High would call him.
“He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.” (Psa. 91:15)
Just like a child would call upon his or her parents, having known the parents, having deep relationship with them and some knowledge about what they can and cannot do.
If we have known him, we would not hesitate to call upon him.
It is however disturbing today that some do not know the name of the Most High. Some know the name but are afraid to call on him. Some know his name but do not know how to call upon him, they thought some special things are needed to be done or put in place before calling him. Let us briefly look at these issues before we continue.
Ø His Name: the book of John makes us know the name of the Most High, for Jesus said, “I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive.” (John 5:43) The name with which the Lord came to the earth is Jesus, this name is the name of the Most High, this is the name required of all to call.
Ø Remove Fear: you do not have to entertain fear when you want to call on the name of the Lord, the name Jesus. Whatsoever fear that the devil may be bringing to your heart that is preventing you from calling this name should be removed. The prophet said fear not neither be dismayed. “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God” (Isa. 41:10)
Ø No Special Thing Required Before Calling Him: some cannot call upon the Lord because they thought they would need candles, incense and other ancient things before calling upon the name of the Lord, but you do not need all that because Jesus is the mediator of the new covenant, the old covenant has been done away with by the death and resurrection of Jesus.
“And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.” (Heb. 12:24)
We are under new covenant, a better covenant and we should not entertain fear to enter into the most Holy place through the name of Jesus Christ to talk unto the Most High.
Ø His Promise: He has promised all who can call unto him here that they will sure be answered.
“He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.” (Psa. 91:15)
Do you need answers to those things bothering your heart? Then you need to call unto the Most High through his name, the given name, which is Jesus Christ.
“And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
“If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.” (John 14:13-14)
“And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you.” (John 16:23)
We cannot get better assurances than this, place the call unto him and you will be answered.
“God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?” (Num. 23:19)
Ø Remove Obstacles And Procrastination: some are always too busy, they do not get time to call him, this is not good enough. You have to remove obstacles all those things that have been preventing you from calling him should be removed. Those things that have been preventing you from calling him are those things that make you procrastinate and you will say tomorrow, I will call him, give me a moment more and all of that. Remove procrastination from your path to calling him and you will see him at work in your life.
Ø Start Small: There is a saying that it is not the time when one starts growing that one’s head will touch the firmament or the roof of the house. In the ancient times in this part of the world it is hut houses that our fore parents used to build, later those houses or buildings changed to mud houses. The houses are not high, sometimes they will not be more than 1.73 centimeters in height such that when people wanted to enter, they will have to bend down so that their heads would not touch the palm-fronds used as roof for the building. When a child that has just started walking then started acting as the elderly ones, acting as if his or her head, would touch those palm fronds they will be told that they need to wait a while because it does not happen like that. This kind of word is often times being used for those who are overly ambitious and are thinking that something ought to have happened where as they have just started the work or process, the elderly ones would call such people to order that it is not immediately when they start that things would be perfect that things will work the way they wanted. This is same with some people who have the mind of prayer. Because some people sermonized that they prayed for 20 hours, prayed for 72 hours and more they will want to act as they were, and they will say they are waiting for a time when they will pray for hours non-stop, they are looking for a place where they will go to and pray for hours non-stop that, that is why they have not started to pray. They wanted to start big, they wanted to start their building from the roof, whereas the building construction ought to be started from the floor level. They by this could not pray because what they are looking for is beyond them at the moment. When one learns to start simple, one would make appreciable impact and progress because here a little there a little makes thing work, makes one a better person spiritually and in all facets of life.
Ø Assurance of Companionship: the first created man in the garden of Eden lacks companionship, “…but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him.” (Gen. 2:20b), it is for companionship primarily that the woman was created for him.
“And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.
“And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof;
“And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.” (Gen. 2:18, 21-22)
God promises here that those who know his name and call upon his name would not lack companionship, that he will always be with them.
“He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.” (Psa. 91:15)
Another wonderful thing that one will see in the promise in this verse is that the Lord will not only accompany the person when things are going on smoothly alone, but he will also be with the person even when things are rough, when things are not as expected.
“When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.” (Isa. 43:2)
Passing through waters, through rivers, through fire and all those things are times of trouble, times when things are not going on as expected, times when one is facing serious troubles may be; in one’s business, on one’s children, in one’s career, because of one’s faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and other chosen fields of life, his sure promise here is that he will be with us in those troubling and disturbing hours, times, days and seasons.
He was with the three Hebrews in the fiery furnace
“He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.” (Dan. 3:25)
When Apostle Paul was held a prisoner and was taken alongside other prisoners to Italy and there arose storm on the sea, the Lord sent his angel to tell him that he is with him.
“For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve,
“Saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee.” (Acts 27:23-24)
Ø The World is Full of Troubles: this word, “I will be with him in trouble” as stated by God here would be confusing to naïve minds like myself and we may want to ask questions, like: where would trouble come from when I am living in his secret place, his supposed place of power? Where would trouble come from seeing I am in his habitation, living with him? When a child is with his/her parents such a child would be comforted, would be happy and would not entertain fear even when other children whose parents are not with them are entertaining fear and are not sure of what lie ahead. This child would not be afraid of what lies ahead, this child would not be befuddled knowing that he has his parents as his shield and buckler, knowing that his parents would provide sure anchor for him or her.
But those who have come of age, would know that the enemies can strike at any time. Take as instance a child who is walking with its parents on the streets and stormy wind attacks the child alone leaving the parents or say when a child is with its parents in the house and the child develops a bug, stomach upset or something. The child’s parents are though with the child, the parents did not go any where but the evil come.
This is showing us that the world is full of evil since the fall of our fore parents in the Garden of Eden. The prince of the world, who is the Satan still penetrates the seemingly air tight places to attack those who are there. That is why from this verse we found the author talking about arrows that fly in the day and those that are being shot in the night. The author is certainly talking about arrows that cannot be seen by the physical eyes neither detected by any technology however powerful those technologies are for detecting things. But he is talking about those unseen things that the enemies brought along man’s path, those things which are always roving where and when least expected. Despite the devil’s penetrating power at those points in time, the author is saying the person should not be afraid neither be dismayed because he will always be there with the person and would not be there as one of the spectators, he would not be there as someone who does not know what to do. Because sometimes when what we do not expect happens to our children, or even to us we would be confused and would not know what to do at that instance, at that point in time, but not for him, not for the Most High, he is never confused neither caught wanting on the next step that needs to be taken at such instance, this is why he says again that at that point in time, when a situation that we do not know will happen eventually happened, he will again deliver the person.
“He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.” (Psa. 91:15)
He is doubly reassuring anyone who is with him that though the enemies may arise like floods of water yet he would see the person through.
“…When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him.” (Isaiah 59:19b)
He will lift up a standard of equivocal status and sometimes even higher than the standards being brought by the enemies because he knows the end from the beginning, he knows that such cannot but happen at times and he will surely deliver.
“Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure” (Isaiah 46:10)
In the world that is full of troubles and trials, in the world where we are not completely immune against the wiles of the devil, the author of this book of Psalms is telling us that we should not be afraid neither be dismayed because we shall be delivered. This word deliverance is showing emphasis, is a word of re-assurance that come what may we shall be delivered.
Ø Promised Honouring: he promised to have great respect for the person, exalts him and puts the person among the noble ones. This is a rare promise to the people who know him and call on his name.
“He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.” (Psa. 91:15)
To grasp this, we need to know that some people are without honour despite occupying the position of authority among their people. Some leaders in the world despite all they have are yet without honour among their people. They may be honoured outside but not within their own country. Such happened to Haman in the bible, he was honoured by the king, but he was without honour among some people in the palace. (Esther 3)
Outside this one may be honoured in the world, one may be doing the things that the people of the world love, pleasing the people of the world, but yet be without honour neither dignity with the Lord. The honour that one has with the Lord Most High is the most important it does not matter whether one is honoured by the people of the world or nay, but when one is honoured by the Most High that is the highest honour anyone can receive in the globe and in the world to come.
Balaam was honoured by King Balak but he was without honour before the Most High. (Numbers 22-24) and he died shamefully.
But God herein is stating in a categorical terms that such would not be the lots of those who are dweling in his tabernacle, such would not occur to those who are calling on his name, those who know him, those who have private knowledge and understanding about him because he will honour them in the open and in the secret.
Ø God’s Gift: one of the main focuses of researchers all over the globe is on how to increase the life span of the people of the world. So many things have been promulgated by the researchers, so many theories and theorems have been come out with, but life span of the inhabitants of the world is not like in the ancient days. This should suggest to us that it is not only researches that are needed for increase lifespan in the world. God who is the giver of life is saying here that he is going to bless those who are in his habitation, those who know him with increase life span.
With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation. (Psa. 91:16)
Gift is being defined by free online dictionary as “something that is given voluntarily without payment in return as to honour a person or an occasion or to provide assistance” to the person. An increase in lifespan can neither be bought nor earned by anyone but it has been promised by the Most High to be a voluntary gift to those who live in his habitation.
Do you seek for increase lifespan? Then you need to consider living in the Most High’s habitation, you need to come to him now.
There is a word in the part of the world to which I belong that says, increase lifespan is compensation to those who have been given.
People suffer in the world due to mismanagement of the leaders, poor organization and all what not. These kinds of sufferings do not exempt those who believe in the gospel, but for those who believe in the Lord Most High they are herein being promised that they will be compensated with increase lifespan so that they would be able to recover some of the lost grounds, if not all. Assuming father Abraham did not live long enough he would not have been able to receive the promise, he would not have gotten the promised son but because God gives him the gift of increase lifespan he was able to give birth and even helped the son in getting married to the right person.
“And the Lord visited Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did unto Sarah as he had spoken.
“For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him.
“And Abraham called the name of his son that was born unto him, whom Sarah bare to him, Isaac.
“And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac being eight days old, as God had commanded him.
“And Abraham was an hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born unto him. (Gen. 21:1-5)
Imagine a man given birth to a son at that age. Imagine a woman given birth to a child at that age. We may say father Abraham has a child earlier at the advice of his wife, but what about the woman? She gave birth at that ripe age of ninety years without artificial insemination, without a carrier, not as if eggs were taken from her and sperm taken from her husband and inserted into the womb of another woman to help them carry the pregnancy to term and delivered, but the pregnancy was carried to term by Sarah and delivered safely herself without complications. Don’t you think it is a rare gift? It is the Lord’s doing and it should be considered wonderful.
“And Abraham was an hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born unto him.” (Psalms 118:23)
This is the rare gift that God promises to give unto those who are in his habitation, those who are living in his secret place to compensate for them their supposed losses, to put to shame the enemies and to make them remember no more their days of anguish and sorrow.
“Fear not; for thou shalt not be ashamed: neither be thou confounded; for thou shalt not be put to shame: for thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth, and shalt not remember the reproach of thy widowhood any more.” (Isaiah 54:4)
The shame that we may have had before would be removed when God’s promises are being fulfilled in our lives and this would be made happen by God after he has given us the gift of increased lifespan.
Ø The Revelation: When someone says “I will show you who I am”, it means there are hidden things about the person that you have not known which the person wants to reveal unto you. The free online dictionary says revelation in theology means “a manifestation of divine will or truth”. The Most High says he will reveal what is initially hidden to the person on the matter of salvation to him. The divine truth about the situation or what the person has passed through or is passing through will be revealed to the person and to those whom such is not revealed the person from the experiences had would have a conviction in him that for this reason he has been born, for this reason such has been allowed so as to be living example to others coming so as to be of assistance to others coming.
“With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.” (Psa. 91:16)
Why some things happen the way they happened and when they happened would be revealed unto the person like it happened to Job in the bible. (Job 38-42) Let us read the summary of the event as stated in the epistle of James to the saints.
“Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.” (James 5:11)
It was not easy for Job when he was passing through the problems, the bible did not specify the length of years he used to suffer. But one thing is sure from the documentation and it is that Job himself thought it was God who was punishing him, he thought God brought all those troubles and destructions unto him. His friends were of the school of thought that Job had erred along the line and that was why such evil things could betide him. Despite all of these, Job maintained himself, he maintained his integrity and he kept on trusting the Lord.
“Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him” (Job 13:15)
It was when he did not deviate to the right or to the left that he could see the salvation of the Lord, when he did not deviate, God was able to reveal unto him how he works, saves his own people. The account of Job showed that terrible things sometimes happened to believers, the upright, someone who has not erred, someone who tries his best to maintain his ways and integrity before the Lord. But yet in such condition, he remains the Lord.
In some instances the salvation of the Lord may come in the form of God taken the righteous away, in the death of the righteous and when such happens, the bible says it is God who has taken the person away from the intending evil which though may not be opened unto the person but which he has seen ahead of then.
“The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart: and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come.” (Isaiah 57:1)
After we have passed through some troubling times and have been saved from all, the Lord will now reveal unto us how he works, letting us know that his way is beyond humans’ comprehension.
For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God” (1 Cor. 2:11)
It is when we get to know this that we become relieved, become contented that God is indeed great and wonderful than anyone in the world.
However, we need to know that the complete revelation of the salvation of God to mankind was revealed in the person of Jesus Christ when he was sent into the world to save mankind from their sins. No one could do this for us, but Jesus came and he did it expressing the uncommon love that God has to all human beings. He brought unto mankind a new testament, a blessed testament which was purchased by his blood. He has revealed this salvation unto us, and we need to accept this salvation which he has revealed unto us now.
Summary
Before honour comes, we have to trust the Lord, make him our habitation. Love him as well as know his name.
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