Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name. He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble. (Psalm 91:14-15)
As this psalm concludes, Moses apparently quotes the Almighty who speaks the words above. Having stated the promises made to us by God, these verses actually describe how He will bring the promise to fruition — when we call, He answers. In contrast, there are many examples in Scripture when pagans called upon their gods only to be met with silence; e.g. Elijah confronted the prophets of Ba’al who received no response from their gods. In fact, Moses emphatically called attention to this distinction when he said to Israel, “For what great nation is there that has God so near to it, as the Lord our God is to us, for whatever reason we may call upon Him?” (Deuteronomy 4:7).
And while Moses says we may call upon Him for any reason, it is implied in the words of the psalm that we call upon Him, most often, when we are in distress. The Hebrew word translated as “trouble” stems from a root word that means to be “pressed, squeezed”; in some verses it is actually translated as “tribulation.” According to the psalm, though the Lord doesn’t always keep us from going through the trouble, He is faithful to be with us as we go through the trouble. Any parent knows the hurt we feel when our children are hurting, and the desire to be with them as they walk through the process. If we feel that way, how much more does our Heavenly Father feel when His children are in the midst of tribulation?
Admittedly, as we go through trying times — and depending on the circumstances — it can be difficult to discern God’s Presence in the midst of our trial. It is much easier to focus on the trouble and be enveloped by the circumstances. Still, we have a promise that if we have set our love upon Him — if we truly know Him — He will answer when we call and deliver us. As it is written: “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; … when you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned” (Isaiah 43:2).
Blessings and Shalom,
Bill
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