QUALIFICATIONS part 3
“He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect. (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?)”
I Timothy 3:4-5

This weekend will mark five years since my divorce was made official. The time has flown by in many instances over the years. I have had both ups and downs, both loss and gain, but in the end I consider who I am now and am pleased. I am not fond of the fact that divorce still stains my past, but I am pleased that even with this stain God continues to shape and form me into the man He desires. But thinking about my divorce brings to mind once more the words spoken by a pastor to me a few years back. In his understanding of the pastoral epistles I would never be able to be a minister. If I remarried, he understood it as me having more than one wife, thus being an error. But greater than that belief was his next comment. “Divorce stems from a man who cannot take care of his affairs in the home, and if you cannot keep your wife, you cannot keep a church.”
Now while I agree that order in the home is beneficial, I could argue and say that there are a great number of pastors whose family lives are not right. Straightaway I can name ministers whose family members are gay, are drug addicts, or who are living an ill-fated lifestyle. But who am I to judge? And who was he to judge me, not knowing my full circumstance and what caused divorce to be the outcome? Better yet, who was he to speak against the promise God gave me? It is then to clear up this understanding that we look at I Timothy 3:4-5 today.
Paul starts this qualification by stating that the ‘episkope’ must manage his own family well. You know me well enough to know that I am going to dive into the original languages, so in doing so I find the word ‘manage’ in the Greek as PROISTEMI. To translate this from the original language we would define it as protect, guard, or give attention to. In order for the person to be a minister, he or she must first protect the family well. But what defines ‘well’? This is the word KALOS, meaning to leave no room for blame. So the ‘episkope’ must protect and guard his family to the point that no blame of any sort can come on them. Taking this to the greater understanding of ‘episkope’ that we have been studying, the person who desires to be sought over by God must also protect him/herself to the extreme that they have no blame. Now I am not referring to shifting the blame, as we see with Adam and Eve, but in the aspects that there literally is nothing bad to say about the person. That is the extreme to which we all should be striving towards.
But this next piece in verse 4 speaks about the children obeying him with proper respect. Let’s break this down. The word ‘obey’ here is the word HUPOTAGE, meaning subjection and obedience. This word relates to the Greek word HUPOTASSO, which if you recall from other devotionals I have done, translates into the word ‘submission’, as found in Ephesians 5:21. The children are to submit and obey the ‘episkope’ with proper respect. Now I must be honest here in saying that when I looked up this word ‘respect’ I was convicted. The word is SEMNOTES, and the meaning is having the characteristic of a thing or person which is entitled to reverence and respect. I have to ask myself, in both the ministry definition and greater definition, do I hold this characteristic? Am I one who is entitled to the reverence of having my children obey me? Yes, they are commanded by God in Exodus 20 to honor and obey me, but do I hold the respect of this qualification outside of the command of God?
So then it all makes sense. If I am not able to protect and guard my family, or myself, in a way that leaves no room for blame, and in a way that my spouse or children obey me because of my character, then how can I be an ‘episkope’? To say that I never can be, like the minister told me, is still absurd. I say this because in his making this comment he in many ways is saying that God cannot change a person. But all I have to do is look at the life of the author of the letter to Timothy to know God can change a person. Saul became Paul, who came into a relationship with God and changed the world. Maybe in seeing this truth I too have now been knocked off my donkey, blinded by the light of His truth, and set to change the world. Whether big or small, I know more so now that I am called to be an ‘episkope’.

QUALIFICATIONS part 2
“…not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money.”
I Timothy 3:3

Over the last few days we have been looking at the words of Paul to Timothy in regards to being an overseer. Now to recap what we have learned, let us go back and re-define the term ‘overseer’ as found in I Timothy 3:1. The Greek word for this title is EPISKOPE, and means an elder or bishop. This same word has a little deeper meaning to it, however. It is also defined as the act by which God looks into and searches out the ways and deeds, or character, of man. Already we have dissected the second verse and found that an overseer, whether in the use of minister or in the greater sense of one being searched by God, must not be reprehended to sin, must not be married to more than one physical woman and not married to both God and sin, must be sober from sin, must be able to curb sinful desires and fixate him/herself to God’s ways, be well arranged, hospitable, and finally possess the ability to teach others. Even still, there are more qualifications that Paul addresses that I want us to take a minute or so to look at today. With this in mind, we move to the third verse.
In I Timothy 3:3 we find four additional qualifications, starting with Paul stating to not be given to drunkenness. Already we defined the word sober, NEPHALEOS, in verse two, but here we see a distinction between sober and not being drunk. Our sobering is in the greater aspects of not being drunk on sin, for if we are not drinking of sin then we are not suffering the hangover of sin and have a clear mind. In verse three we find the word PAROINOS, meaning the literal fact of being drunk. While I know a great many ministers who do drink, whether occasionally or religiously, we are told here that a minister is to not be a drunkard. In our greater scope of understanding, what benefit is it to us and the example we are wanting to set for others if we are walking in the ways of the world. We are to set an example as opposed to conforming to the world.
The ‘episkope’ is not to be violent but instead gentle. Let me ask you this question. Which speaks louder to you, actions or words? You probably answered actions, as did I. As my wedding date grows closer I find myself telling my fiancée more and more that I love her. However, when are around each other I work to find ways to show her, be it purchasing flowers, starring lovingly into her eyes, or even just embracing her a second or two longer. These actions help prove to her I am serious about my love. But this same science can work the other way. My words can be fluffy while my actions are negative. For this, Paul encourages us to not be violent. The word in Greek is PLEKTES, meaning to not be a bruiser or ready to blow. I say this for anyone reading this, that those with anger issues, while they can be used by God, may not receive the full blessing. Case and point, look at Moses. It was his anger the kept him out of the Promise Land. Instead of obeying God and speaking, he allowed the murmuring of the people to work his nerve and he smote the rock. That act of disobedience prevented him from walking onto the full promise. Let us not follow Moses’ steps and end our time looking in as opposed to walking in.
On the heels of warning us to not be ready to blow, we find the warning also to not be quarrelsome, or to be an AMACHOS in the Greek. This word translates to mean a brawler. This is the bully who picks a fight, and can too be seen in both contexts of the word ‘episkope’. For the minister, this action can prove as the one who is always right, the one who is contentious, and the one who forces his belief on others. How dare you differ even slightly with the opinion of the pastor. What I love about theology, though, is that each of us are told to work out our own salvation. If we are open to God’s leading, He will open our eyes to the truth without the bullish tactics from the pulpit. And the same is true of those not in the pulpit. We are not to force our beliefs on others and quarrel over theology. Now it is true, we are to allow God’s Word to be a light to those in darkness, and allow ourselves to be the tool used, but again it comes down to our speaking the truth in love and allowing the seed planted to grow. The quarreler may take people farther away from God than work to bring them close.
Lastly in this verse we read the qualification of not being a lover of money. While money is needed for day to day life, being given to the greed of money is wrong. Jesus Himself spoke concerning the love of money. The word actually has a greater meaning, though. In the Greek this word is APHILARGUROS, meaning the literal love of money as well as the sin of coveting. Remember this from Exodus 20:17, “You shall not covet…”? Here again we see the warning concerning coveting and how this greed is sin. And this warning is not just for the minister. The love of money equates to the serving of money, making money a second god under God. But the love of money also taints us to where we begin to want more and more. Now I am not saying by any means that people should be poor and suffering, but I am saying that when money becomes our god, we are in violation of having a god other than God Himself. To save us all from this error, Paul warns of this in his list of qualifications.
I don’t know about you, but as I continue to read through and examine myself in accordance to these qualifications, I see areas in my life where I need some help. Little by little I can look back and see where I have allowed sin to creep in. As sobering as this is, there is still hope. I still have the ability to ask God to forgive my behaviors, and ask Him to help me make the changes needed so that I can be a valid ‘episkope’, both in everyday life and behind the pulpit when He deems the time right. Perhaps you are beginning to have these same revelations that I am. Perhaps you are measuring yourself as an ‘episkope’ according to these words and you are seeing the disconnect too. If so, then join me. Join me in asking God to forgive the areas where we have fallen and strengthen you in your walk. He will do it, but we must ask.

QUALIFICATIONS part 1
“Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach…”
I Timothy 3:2

Yesterday we took some time to define what an overseer is, and the answer may have surprised you. We have this thought that Paul was simply referring to those seeking a pastoral role, which is correct in that the word translates from ‘episkope’, meaning an elder or bishop. But as we found out, the word also refers to the act by which God looks into and searches out the ways and deeds, or character, of man, and this definition should apply to us all. Suddenly this verse takes on a whole new meaning. No longer is Paul only talking about those who desire to be ministers, but those who want to be searched and found right before God.
As we move on to the supporting verses, we begin to find exactly what the qualifications are for both those seeking ministry roles, as well as those who desire to stand before God during His searching. Today we will focus on those found in I Timothy 3:2, starting with the qualification of being above reproach. Honestly, I do not think this is a term we use to define people much anymore. The word itself in the Greek is ANEPILEPTOS, and it means blameless, not apprehended, and one who cannot be reprehended. How many people can we say are blameless? I consider myself to be a pretty good guy, be even I do not think I could honestly say in full that I am above reproach. But notice too that the word alludes to not being apprehended. Apprehended by what, or whom? I have to be honest and admit that the first apprehension that comes to mind is that of being apprehended by sin. Maybe it is safe to say that the first qualification to being an ‘episkope’ is to not be in agreement with sin in any fashion.
The one seeking to be an ‘episkope’ must also be the husband of but one wife. Now this one seems pretty much straight forward, yet it was this one that I was told would un-qualify me from ever entering into the ministry. The actual phrase in Greek reads, ANER MIA GUNE, husband of only one wife. The term ‘of only one’ is defined by some as meaning that the person who is ever involved in divorce stands no chance of being involved in the ministry. Others define this term as meaning that we should not literally have multiple wives as was custom in the Old Testament days. But if we take the definition of overseer in relation to this qualification, would it still make sense to say the divorcee can never enter into ministry? Can the divorcee not be searched by God in his ways, deeds, and character? And consider this fact as well. We cannot be married to both God and sin as in so doing we do marry more than one.
The next of the seven qualifications found in verse 2 that I want to look at today is the qualification of temperance. The term is NEPHALEOS in the Greek, and it translates as sober and abstaining from wine. Now while I myself am not one who gives into drinking anymore, I do not judge those who do. We probably have all heard enough from the pulpit to know that water in Jesus’ days did not have the same filtration systems we use today, and as a result wine was normally drank. But it is the engorging of drink that makes one drunk, and therefore not temperate. That said, drunk people seem to make decisions while intoxicated that can be questionable, to say the least. So to prevent these questionable decisions, Paul encourages us to not be drunk with physical drink. But as one who wants God to search all aspects of himself, and be found in the greater definition of ‘episkope’, I must be sober also from sin. I cannot afford the wine of sin to intoxicate me and in the end be the reason that this office passes me by.
At this point, I want to encourage you. I want to encourage you to evaluate your life in these three areas, as well as the ones that are still to come. While you may never be ordained and stand behind the pulpit, you do have the ability to minister to others with your life. Does your life reflect one who is apprehended by sin, married to God and sin, and drunk on the wine of sin? Or does your life reflect one who is blameless, devoted and married only to God, and not giving over to the aftertaste of sin on your breath. Our lifestyle speaks more than our words. What is yours saying about you?
Et us continue on now. The next qualification to make the list is the word ‘self-controlled’. Let me start by saying that this is a different self-control than the fruit we read about in Galatians 5:23. In the Galatians passage the word is EGKRATEIA, meaning to be one who masters his desires and passions. Here in I Timothy, though, Paul uses the word SOPHRON, meaning also the curbing of desire, but more so the fact of being of a sound mind or sober in thought. In the physical, a minister needs to have his or her mind fixed on God’s ways, sober to the mindset of what and how God desires to move. He cannot, or should not, move based on society or fear of what the church may think, but should be stepping out in the truth God is speaking. This fact revolves around the being one with God. But in the greater definition of us all being ‘episkope’, we all need to be in the same mindset with God. We all need to curb our desires and be sober in the ways of God.
While more can be said regarding self-control, we move to our next qualification which is stated as being ‘respectable’. In the Greek we read this word as KOSMIOS, from the root word KOSMOS. Kosmos is defined as a harmonious arrangement or order. Kosmios is defined as well arranged and modest. The root and variant both involve the same context, that of order. An ‘episkope’, whether behind the pulpit or in the greater meaning of one who is searched by God, needs to be one who is orderly. Now while this can mean physical order, I think it can just as well mean spiritual order. We must strive to be those who search out the truth, apply the truth, and share the truth. It is no surprise that there are many theologies just within the church that battle for supporters, but I urge you to study out God’s Word for yourself. Taking the belief of other preachers, or even other family members, is not being well arranged as much as it is being lazy. Dig for yourself and allow God to arrange and order your belief based on His truth.
The qualification of being ‘hospitable’ is the Greek word PHILOXENOS, and is a literal translation. We as ‘episkope’ should be hospitable and generous to others. This same word is found in I Peter 4:9, where Peter writes, “Use ‘philoxenos’ one to another without grudging.” We are not to murmur or debate the fact on a list of pros and cons, but are simply to be generous. The fact is this can be harder done than said. What if we do not want to be hospitable, are not able to be hospitable, or are just afraid of being taken advantage of when being hospitable? I wish I had an answer for these concerns, but all I can say is what I am now saying to myself. The example of Christ was that of a servant. I see now that I need to serve a little more, trusting that what I am doing is His will.
Lastly in I Timothy 3:2 we read the qualification of being able to teach. I have actually heard this piece taught as the ability to teach, as well as the fact of being teachable. To end the debate, the word in the Greek is DIDAKTIKOS, and it translates into an apt and skill in teaching. In the pastoral sense, it makes sense that a pastor should be one who is able to teach the crowd, draw them in, and leave them with a point or two to ponder at home. But is this true also of the greater definition of ‘episkope’? I venture to say yes. When approached or challenged concerning your beliefs, are you able to share on the terms of the listener what you believe? Are you able to teach them about God in a skillful and sensible way, or do you leave them wondering what your are trying to say? I am not saying we all have to be scholars and English teachers, but am suggesting that we know what we believe so that we can clearly share our beliefs with others.
In just one verse we have defined seven qualifications of an ‘episkope’. I share these qualifications not to sway you to begin judging your pastor, but to encourage you to perhaps judge yourself. We are all ministers as we are all being watched. And the saying that a picture is worth a thousand words is truer than we think. What thousand words are being spoken of others about you as they look at your life and your Christian title? Are you an ‘episkope’? If not, then perhaps this is a good time to begin letting God search us out, challenge us, and sharpen us to meet these qualifications He has put in place.

BEING AN OVERSEER
“Here is a trustworthy saying: If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer, he desires a noble task.”
I Timothy 3:1

When I was a child, as I have shared before, it was prophesied over me that I would be a pastor. At the time being a pastor was far from my mind. What child still in his single digits in age desires to enter the ministry when there are so many other occupations available? But as time continued on, and so did the same words prophesied by others, my heart began to change. It wasn’t all that long after that instead of running from these words that I was embracing these words. I set out for seminary and graduated with my pastoral training under my belt in 1998. Three months after graduating college, however, things would change. Having explained prior to marriage where God was leading me, my dreams were halted once the honeymoon was done. The subject of this prophesy became the cause of many arguments and soul-searching. Yet I also came back to the same truth. I felt God pushing me into ministry. In 2007, following our divorce, a part of me thought, “Now you can run after what God first gave you years ago.” The only problem, though, was that in the eyes of many I was damaged goods. One pastor even bluntly told me that God would never use me for more than a Sunday School teacher because divorce was in my background.
Imagine that; imagine being told that for a divorce you did not elect to get, you now would be unable to proceed in the dream you had. Imagine the pain I felt when life suddenly wasn’t as exciting. For years I had felt the pit of not following this desire already, and now people were encouraging me to give up still. But why would God give me this prophesy, knowing all that would happen in my life, and then not somehow make a way? Does not the Bible say His word will not return void? So I began to look at the qualifications of a minister as named in I and II Timothy and Titus, and it is from these books I wish to share with you over the next few days.
Let’s jump right into Paul’s first letter to Timothy and see where we land. According to Paul, seeking to be an overseer is a noble task. What exactly is an overseer? The Greek word for this title is EPISKOPE, and means an elder or bishop. This same word has a little deeper meaning to it, however. It is also defined as the act by which God looks into and searches out the ways and deeds, or character, of man. Thinking this in true context then, we read that a trustworthy saying is, “anyone who sets his heart on being searched in character desires a noble task.” Regardless of if I ever step foot into full time ministry or not, this is what I want. I want God to take His fine microscope over my life and find the things that are not right in me so that I can get them changed. I want to live a life that expresses Him and His ways. Do I want it for nobility reasons? No. I want it simply because I do not want a gap in my relationship with Him because of a sin that I refuse to get rid of, or a behavior I want to hold on to. How many blessings have I already missed as a result of holding on to things that block His ways?
Alright, so perhaps we did not get too far into this study for today, but the point of bringing this verse to light was to help set the stage. As we continue to read in these three books about which are commonly titled the ‘pastoral epistles’, we need to realize that these books are not just for the ministers of the world. They are for all of us. The instructions that we will see Paul set concerning being the husband of one wife, not being drunk, and so forth are not only for those standing behind the pulpit every Sunday, but are the instructions for the one who wants to be an ‘episkope’, the one who wants God to look into and search deeply the heart of the person. If that is you, despite your occupation, then stay with me over the next few days and let us see what we can uncover.

MAKE A MOVE
“Then [Jesus] said to the man, ‘Stretch out your hand.’ So he stretched it out and it was completely restored, just as sound as the other.”
Matthew 12:13

Yesterday we looked at obedience, and how the lack of it could be keeping us from receiving the blessing that God wants to give us. Thinking again on King Saul, there is no telling just how much longer this man would have served as king if he had done what God commanded. I cannot help but find myself asking once more how many more blessings I would find in my life if I would obey the words of God. I can simply look at my physical situation, however, to see the parallel of this fact. In August 2000 I was fired from my job at the bank. In the Code of Conduct that I signed when I was hired it gave specifics concerning what I was and was not allowed to do on company time. Viewing pornography on the company computer was not one of the allowed. Had I obeyed, I maybe still would be working there. However, my disobedience of the rules became my demise.
That said I want to give you some hope. Not everyone in the Bible disobeyed. In fact, I can think off-hand of three specific people who obeyed God and saw the benefit of their obedience. The first one I want to point out to you is the man with the shriveled hand in Matthew 12:13. The account reads that it was on the Sabbath and Jesus went into a Pharisee synagogue. Perhaps it was all a set up, but the Pharisees just so happened to ask Jesus if it was lawful to heal on the Sabbath, as a man with a shriveled hand was standing around. Jesus answered the religious bunch, but then He spoke to the man to stretch out his hand for his healing. The man did, and suddenly the deformed hand was restored to complete wholeness. I cannot help but wonder if a healing would have come if the man had not obeyed Jesus’ words, refusing to stretch it out. In this case, I am certain he would have missed his blessing.
Move forward with me to John 9:1-7, where we read about an old blind man. After Jesus explained to His disciples that this man was not paying for the sins of his family, nor of himself, but rather for the reason of a blessing, Jesus spit on the ground and made mud. Jesus placed the mud in the man’s eyes and commanded him to go to the Pool of Siloam to wash. There was the command, to go and wash. The man could refuse and stay blind, or obey and see what would happen next. He obeyed, went to the Pool, and received the blessing of sight. Again we see (pun intended) the benefit of obeying God.
Lastly I want us to look at the details concerning Naaman, in II Kings 5. Battling with leprosy, the man was told by the prophet Elisha to wash himself in the Jordan seven times. Naaman almost missed out on his blessing. The Jordan was not the cleanest of places, and this commander of the army was well aware of this fact. He left the prophet’s home angry about the instruction to wash, but urged on by his servant, agreed. He hesitantly obeyed. This may qualify as the way we obey most times. Nonetheless, when he washed the seventh time he was made whole, with no trace of leprosy remaining on his body.
Obedience is not always easy, and not always convenient, but it always has a reward in the end when done. For these men, obedience brought them a fully working hand, sight, and the blessing of health. What will obedience bring us? I am not sure I can fully answer, but I do know that it is so much better than what disobedience will bring. So how about it? How about we make a move to obey as God leads? I am sure it will be worth it in the end.

OUR GREATEST WEAPON
“’To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.’”
I Samuel 15:22b

I have been reading a book recently titled, Putting on your God Gear. For a while now I have been interested in knowing more about the armor of God, and this book by Perry Stone caught my attention. However, the opening chapter threw me off. The book opens with a question, asking, what is the one weapon the enemy fears the most. As I pondered this question my first thought was the sword, knowing that the Word of God is our sword. A few paragraphs later I found I was wrong; that this is not the greatest weapon as the Bible records that even the demons know the Bible. So then, as I continued to read the chapter, I continued to see the author asking this question. Finally he posed the question one last time, with the answer following. And what is the greatest weapon we possess, the one that the enemy hates? The answer is obedience. Our obedience to God raises a hedge of protection, but also becomes our greatest weapon.
Look with me at a few truths concerning obedience. In I Samuel 15 we read the account of the prophet Samuel giving specific orders to King Saul about what to do with the Amalekites. According to God, Saul was supposed to take them out completely, leaving nothing a no one alive. However, after the war we read that the prophet visited and heard the sounds of animals and saw the king still alive. For this lack of obedience, Saul was demoted as king. Yet even in this chapter we see details concerning obedience. Yes we see the punishment handed to Saul for not obeying, but Samuel also states that rebellion, in this case rebelling against God’s command, is like the sin of witchcraft. Now let us be fair and define this term ‘witchcraft’. The Hebrew word is QECEM, translating as literal witchcraft, but also translating as a serving of false prophets. To state it bluntly, not obeying God is equal to serving a false god. That is pretty strong when you stop to think about it.
As the chapter went on, the author asked another question that hit home. How many blessings do we fail to receive because of our lack of obedience? This one had me thinking. I recalled some of the words I heard a prompting of just recently. As I shared a few days back, with all these wedding and family plans that I am looking at now, I was beginning to feel burdened. Even though I felt God asking me to trust Him, I failed to tell you that I also felt Him directing me. In my stubbornness, however, I was hesitant to move on the direction I felt Him moving. With one closed door after another, I finally conceded to follow this prompting. Guess what. God was right! Why does it take me so long to obey at times? And what am I missing in both the short term and long term by not obeying right away. If Saul would have killed the whole camp as instructed, he may have been king longer. If I would obey God’s leading up front, I may know a few less stresses.
So what does all this mean going forward? Well looking at our text, to obey is our best option. God isn’t so much concerned with our physical sacrifice of animals, but He is very concerned with our heart sacrifice. God is looking for obedience. And the great thing about obedience is that in our obeying God the enemy is scared. He is scared because he knows that our obedience puts us in tune with God. Once in tune with God, we cannot be stopped. The likewise is also true. If we fail to obey, we leave the door open for an attack. I am tired of being attacked, and for taking so long to close the door on the enemy. Isn’t it time we make the decision now to obey? Isn’t it time to hold tight our greatest weapon?

I WILL RESCUE HIM
“’Because he loves me,’ says the LORD, ‘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

About two years back now my kids and I were in the car, driving from getting breakfast to going to get haircuts. We were enjoying ourselves, talking, and singing with the radio. I watched as the light at the intersection turned yellow and I began to slow down knowing red was soon to come. However, the truck behind me failed to see the color change and when he did, found it too late to hit his brakes fully. From behind we were hit, pushing our car fully through the intersection. As we later found out, the man in the truck was watching activity on the side of the road and not in front of him. And by God’s protection, no one was coming as we hurled through the intersection. While the event scared both my kids and I, we were safe, protected, and thankful. In that moment, even while shaking a bit from the collision, we knew God had rescued us from something far worse.
The truth is God protects us more than we probably realize. As we have determined, when we stay in His shelter and under His covering, He upholds His promise of protection. Today we find ourselves wrapping up with the final pieces of Psalm 91, defining further our protection. And what better a way to end than with one more promise from God that we will be protected. It is in these final three verses of Psalm 91 that we read, “’Because he loves me,’ says the LORD, ‘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.’”
There are so many words in this section that we could define, but I promise I will only hit the words that call out the loudest. The first of those is ‘love’. This word in the Hebrew is CHASHAQ. It is not the gushy puppy love feeling, but rather is defined as being attached to or long for. This is a love that comes over the course of time, and my first thought of this expressed in reality is of my parents who, through all life served them, stayed together for 39 years before dad passed away. The greatest testament of their love was seeing mom care for him the final few years of his life while he battled ALS. I can almost see God looking at us and seeing that same depth, and as such, vowing to protect and care for us as well. It is because of this love that God determines He will deliver us and answer us when we cry out to Him.
But notice how God says that He will deliver and honor those who call on Him in trouble. The word for ‘deliver’ is CHALATS, meaning to remove and to equip. Likewise, the word ‘honor’ is the word KABAD, meaning to be made abundant and glorified. In troubled times when we call out, God promises to equip us with what we need while the removal is being done, and then glorify us both in and after the battle. With long life we are ‘satisfied’, SABA’, fulfilled to the fullest capacity, and shown salvation.
This act is more than just a military action where the goal is to rescue the POW. This act is far greater than simply a plan. This act is a promise, and it is a promise from the One who knows no limits. In listening to a Newsong song recently, I heard the words, “Who can do the things that You can? / If it’s impossible, Lord You know the way.” In our moments of entrapment by the enemy, it is God who finds a way to rescue us. Let us then be those who love God, fall under His protection, and reside in His shelter.
I pray the truth of Psalm 91 will change your life as it has been doing in mine recently.