Because He Loves Me

because he loves me

By Kris Calvert 12-13-2022

Greetings Pray-ers,

“Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him;

I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.

He will call upon me, and I will answer him;

I will be with him in trouble,

I will deliver him and honor him.

With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation.”

Psalm 91:14-16

Who is “he”? I love this passage as we hear the Lord’s voice talking about a “somebody”. But, who? Let’s use our imaginations and play a bit with these verses. Before starting I believe the Lord is referring to those who are dwelling in His shelter, resting in His shadow, who consider our Lord to be their refuge and fortress, and who desire His protection by the covering of His feathers and wings. Due to limited space I will only use the first sentence: “Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. I do encourage you to try this with the entire passage.

1. “Because America loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue her; I will protect her, for she acknowledges my name.”

2. “Because the Body of Christ loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue the Body; I will protect the Body, for the Body acknowledges my name.”

3. “Because Israel/the Jewish people love me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue them; I will protect them, for they acknowledge my name.”

4. “Because (insert your name) loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue you; I will protect you, for (your name) acknowledges my name.”

Have I committed heresy in writing this? I’d like to think not! Does the Lord desire to take care of us as individuals? Does He care about the Body of Christ? Does He care about His chosen people? Does He care about the country in which we live? We often hear 2 Chronicles 7:13-14 quoted:

“When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts

To devour the land or send a plague among my people, if my people,

Who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and

Seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from

Heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

These words were given to King Solomon by the Lord at the dedication of the Temple some 2500 years ago. Today, many continue to pray this with consistency and fervor, believing that if we do our part, the Lord will heal our land. These verses complement Psalm 91:14. God is so very good!

The words of Jesus/Yeshua as found in John 3:16, 17: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” As we are just days from when the whole world celebrates Jesus’ birth, we are reminded that Jesus came to us as a servant and teacher so that we might not only learn from Him but also emulate His ways. Days before Jesus’ crucifixion we read of His prayer for you and me found in John 17:20, 21: “My prayer is not for them alone (ref. disciples). I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” Much has been written on the great messages shared by our Lord in John 15-17. My thoughts on this take me back to all the gospels where we read that Jesus spent much time with His Father (i.e. separating Himself from others to be alone with God). John 5:19 tells us of Jesus’ dependency on His Father: “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does.”

I believe this is dwelling in the presence of our Lord. I believe God the Father, Jesus the Son through the ministrations of the Holy Spirit desire for us to want to spend time in their presence. I believe it pleases our Lord when we completely trust and depend upon Him. Yes, the Lord has given us strengths, abilities, talents and giftings. But, I must confess, when I am walking outside of that trust and dependency, or when I am trying to straddle both worlds (God’s & man’s) I am probably less effective in my prayer time than I could be.

There are many challenges ahead of us that might, could or will affect different aspects of our lives. Some could be good challenges; others could be difficult. Some may have us crying out in frustration; others may send us to our knees. Let us not forget to run to the shelter of the Most High. He IS our Fortress. He IS our Strong Tower. He IS our Refuge.