Staying Obedient

Transcript

Alright, thank you very much. And hello again, dear radio friends, and I use the word dear, advisedly. I care about you. One of the miracles of Christian fellowship is that we can care about people whom we may never have met, nor will we until we get to glory. But we’re tied together somehow by the love of Christ and concern for the things of God. Thank you for being there on the listening end. This is your good friend Bob Cook.

And we’re looking at the 91st Psalm. Now here’s a precious verse, this 14th verse, “Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him.” God looks for people to love him. He doesn’t mention your track record here. Did you notice that? Now, in 91:1, Psalm 91:1, “He that dwelleth in the secret place shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.” We talked about that didn’t we? Now, it says, “Because you’ve set your love on me,” and then in verse 14, the last phrase, “I will set him on high because he hath known my name.” Now, there are three things there then. Dwelling in the secret place, that’s the place of commitment and obedience. Get alone with God and find out what He wants of you and then obey Him. You’ll abide under the shadow. That is, you’ll have a constant awareness of God’s presence is what that means.

Then verse 14, “Because he set his love on me.” Do you and I, do we really love God? I back off every now and again and start a survey of my own spiritual life. Do you ever do that? And one of the questions I ask while I’m talking with my Lord is this matter, “Do I love Him?” I fear God in that good biblical sense of respect and awe. I know He could end my life just by looking away from me. That’s what the Bible says. All God has to do is turn His face away from you and you’re done. So I know that God holds my life in His divine control. But I often wonder, what about my own heart relationship with the Lord? Well, the only answer to that is to yield to the indwelling Holy Spirit. Because Romans 5:5 says, “The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost who was given unto us. The fruit of the Spirit is love.” See, the result of the Holy Spirit running your life is love, love for God, and love for God’s people. Calvary love. John 3:16 kind of love. “Because he hath set his love on me.”

Now, it’s possible… See, love is not just an emotion. In our day, we have a very flimsy and shallow and banal definition of love. Love, and dove, and moon, and June, and croon, and soon. That whole business of emotion and the physical relationship between two human beings, certainly involved in the ideal relationship of man and woman in the marriage situation. But as the world knows it, it’s a very shallow business. What are we talking about here? “Because he hath set His love on me.” Did you know that love has to do with willpower as well as emotions? “I will love thee, oh Lord, my God,” said the psalmist. You can will to open your heart to God and to love Him. You can decide that you want God to be first in your life. Yes, you can. And the indwelling Holy Spirit of God will implement that decision gloriously. “Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver Him.” You want God to see you though a difficult situation? Specialize in loving Him. You want God to manifest His power in an impossible situation where you don’t know what to do next? Specialize in loving Him. That’s what He says. “Set his love upon me.”

That means an act of your will. That means a commitment of your whole life. That means that you determine that God is gonna be first in your entire system of values. Love. “Set his love on me.” God is looking for people who truly love Him and worship Him. Our Lord Jesus said, as recorded by John in his fourth chapter, “The Father seeketh such to worship Him.” God is out looking for people who are real with Him. Are you and I? Are we real with God? Really real? Or is it talk? Well, that’s something only you can answer. But the blessed Spirit of God will certainly help you answer it if you’re minded to be honest with Him. “I’ll deliver him,” He says “because he really loves me.” Then the next thing he says is this, “I’ll set him on high because he hath known my name.” Set him on high means a position of not only of deliverance but of safety and prominence. Set him on high. If you’re on what the Bible says, on high, that means that you’re above the strife. You’re safe. And, in all probability, you have a position of prominence. “Because he hath known my name.” How do you really succeed, and how can you set yourself apart from the crowd without being ostentatious, and proud, and pushy? You wanna think about that for a minute?

He says, “I’ll set him on high because he hath known my name.” Thou shalt call His name Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins. Do you know his Savior name? I’m talking to somebody today, I’m sure, who has never committed yourself to the Lord Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. You’ve never asked him to forgive your sins and make you a child of God. Why don’t you do that right away? If you’re driving and you can conveniently pull off the road, do so and bow your head, say, “Lord, Jesus. Forgive my sins and come into my heart and make me a child of God.” Pray that prayer. Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved, we read in God’s Word. “He hath known my name.” It’s a saving name, it’s a guiding name. “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He leadeth me beside the still waters. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures. He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Yea, thou I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil. For thou art with me God, my shepherd. He hath known my name.” Do you know him as shepherd? Huh? Do you know him as shepherd? Do you know him as provider? The Lord will provide. Do you know him as the one who never leaves you. Hitherto hath the Lord helped us? Do you know him as the one who is enough? The one who is enough, all the names of God because he hath known my name.

Oh, get acquainted with God, will you? Start with Savior and then go on. He’s the door. He said, “I’m the door. By Me, if any man enter in, he shall be saved and shall go in and out and find pasture.” He’s the bread of life, “I am the bread of life. He that eateth Me shall never hunger.” He’s the bread of life. He’s the water of life. He’s the water of life. He is the door. He’s the shepherd. He’s the bread. He’s the water. He’s the life giver. “I am the resurrection and the life.” He’s the life giver. Oh, the names of the Lord Jesus, so many of them. And I’ve just ticked off a few as I thought about them while I’m talking with you here. “He hath known my name.” How much do you know about God? Do you really know him? Are you comfortable with him? I think, so often, of having read Evelyn Christenson’s statement. There was an occasion when she was really upset about what was happening in her life and she was complaining to God about it, really. Lying alone in her bedroom one night and sleep wouldn’t come, and she was praying and crying and complaining about some of the bitter things that she had to face. And then, finally, she gave up and yielded herself completely to the will of God in the matter, and stopped fighting, and stopped complaining, and started trusting, she said. And all of a sudden, while she lay there in the darkness, she looked up and said, “Hey, God. I like you.” [chuckle]

Are you comfortable with God? Is the battle over? Have you stopped fighting his will? Have you called on Him to save you? And have you trusted Him to lead you? And have you realized that He can satisfy you? And have you realized that He can open doors of opportunity for you? “Behold, I’ve set before thee an open door, and no man shall shut it,” He says. “I’m the door.” Oh, the name of God. He said, “I’ll set him on high.” How do you get to be a success without being pushy, and self-assertive, and stepping on other people? Specialize in knowing God. It’s that simple. “I will set him on high.” Oh, the Bible tells me that success comes not from the east or the west, or from the south but from the Lord. Promotion cometh not from the east or the west or the south but from the Lord. He putteth up one and putteth down another. God knows what He’s doing, and He knows where He wants you. He knows what He wants you to do. And if you specialize in loving him and obeying him, you’ll be a success. You don’t have to try to be one, you’ll be one. Hallelujah for that. [chuckle] Aren’t you glad that’s so? Man, I am.

Then he says, “He shall call upon me and I will answer him.” Now, here you have the becauses. “Because he set his love on me, because he’s known my name… ” What’s gonna happen? Answered prayer. “He’ll call on me and I’ll answer him.” The presence of God, “I’ll be with him in trouble.” Deliverance, “I will deliver him.” Honor, coming from God, “I will honor him.” And long life, “With long life will I satisfy him and then I’ll show him My salvation.” We can’t comment on all of those today. We’ll get at it after this broadcast, but let’s go at it, just one of them anyway.

He said, “I’ll set him on high.” That has to do with success, doesn’t it? Now, “Because he hath known My name and set his love on Me, he’ll call on Me and I will answer him. Call unto Me and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things which thou knowest not.” God said to Jeremiah, “Ask and ye shall receive,” our Lord Jesus said. He used that in a linear sense, means ask and keep on asking. Ask and keep on asking. Seek and keep on seeking. Knock and keep on knocking. It’s not just one. It’s not just one prayer, it’s a life of prayer. “He shall call upon Me and I will answer him.” A life of prayer.

Armin Gesswein said to me one time, when I was just starting out as President of Youth for Christ back in the 1940s, he said, “You’re missing something, Bob.” And I said, “What is it?” And he said, “Prayer.” I said, “Come on now, we just finished an all night of prayer,” which was true. I had just been all night long praying with some of the leaders of Youth for Christ. We were weary but blessed. And he said, “You’re missing it.” And I said, “What do you mean?” I was a little offended at him. He said, “Prayer has to be frontal. You’re making it peripheral. You’re making it something that you add on once in a while.” He says it has to be frontal. You have to pray about everything. Prayer has to be frontal not peripheral. I remember him saying that, and it stuck in my mind. And I began to realize that I need to call a prayer meeting, not a committee meeting. First pray, then plan. First pray, then decide. First pray, then survey the situation. First pray, then act. Oh, “He’ll call upon Me and I will answer him.” What’s the beginning of it? “He set his love on me.” If you love him enough you’ll consult him, won’t you? If you love God, you’ll seek his guidance. If you love God you’ll want to please him, won’t you? And so that will result in a life of constant prayer. I will answer him.” No “if” there. Always an answer when you pray to the God whom you love.

Dear Father today, help us to love Thee and to seek Thee and then to hear from heaven in reply. In Jesus’s name. Amen.

Till I meet you once again by way of radio, walk with the King today and be a blessing!