In my limited understanding . . .

¹⁴ “Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him;
    I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
¹⁵ He will call on me, and I will answer him;
    I will be with him in trouble,
    I will deliver him and honor him.
¹⁶ With long life I will satisfy him
    and show him my salvation.”
Psalm 91:14-16

"Because he love me . . .  I will rescue him"

The "him" being you and I. 

I don;'t know about you, but I would prefer not to be in the need of rescuing.  However, I must admit that I often find myself in the need of rescuing.  Sometimes it is because of what I have done, and sometimes it is simply the result of other forces which are acting on me.  In either case I do find myself in need of being rescued. 

Now in my limited sense of understanding, I like what he is saying.  God will protect me because I acknowledge His name (acknowledge being more than just saying He is God, but following in obedience under Him).  When I call on Him, He, God will answer.  God will be with me when I am in trouble.  God will deliver me and God will honor me.  God will give me long life and will show me His salvation. 

Awesome!  I like all of this!  But didn't I say in my "limited" understanding. 

See in my "limited" understanding to rescue me means to pull me out of the problem, the issue - to save me from the consequences of some of my stupid mistakes.  In my "limited" understanding protecting me means I will not get hurt, I will experience no pain.  To answer me would mean that I understand what He is saying.  When God says he will be with me when I am in trouble, well nn my "limited" understanding that means that He is right there, will answer for me, will be my attorney, my advocate -- that He will defend my cause.  And, in my "limited" understanding, when God says that He will deliver me . . . well deliverance means all the hurt, pain, trouble, enemies, etc. of the same likeness, . . . well all of that stuff is taken away, is gone.  I am taken out of that mess victorious.  And as for honoring me . . . well I get to live to see my enemies eat my . . . ___________  and kiss my _________ (I"ll leave you to fill in the blanks!).  Long life . . . well that means I will see at least 120 years old with all of my faculties working, in my right mind.  In all of this, I truly will have seen His salvation.

Hmm . . . but look at Paul's confession in 2 Corinthians 11:23-29

²³ Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. ²⁴ Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. ²⁵ Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, ²⁶ I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. ²⁷ I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. ²⁸ Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches. ²⁹ Who is weak, and I do not feel weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not inwardly burn?

The apostle Paul!  Wow! Is the word not true for Him??!??  Its the same word.  So how could this word be true for Paul?  And if it were not for Paul how in the world would it be true for me?!!!  I am NO Paul!!  What a pitiful state I must be in!!

 . . . .in my "limited" understanding . . .

See my understanding is limited.  God sees rescue differently.  He must see it as His presence living within us, empowering us to withstand the impossible. He must see being with me in times of trouble not as protecting me from it but walking me through it.  He, God, must see deliverance as maybe my being delivered from my limited understanding of His love with transcends any ill which can ever be done to me by man.  He must see honoring me in that I wam written in His book of life.  He must see long life as a fullness of the life I am given to live,  all the days of it, in Him.  God must see salvation in my understanding of the love He is living in and through Him.

I think that today, to get through it . . . I must embrace a little more of His understanding. . .

You may need to too . . .  Makes more sense out of life . . .

Got word?

Love yah,