I’ve been preaching a series entitled “Satisfied With Long Life.” It’s based on Psalm 91:16 (NKJV): “With long life I will satisfy him, and show him My salvation.” That promise belongs to those who fulfill verses 1-2: “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in Him I will trust.’”
These are people who don’t have a casual and careless relationship with the Lord. No, these are people who stay so close to the Lord that they can hear His every whisper, and who order all their ways to line up with His instructions. They’re also people who open up their mouths and declare their total dependence on the Lord.
I freely admit I am completely dependent on the Lord. For everything. My family, my health, my food and shelter, my job, my profession, what I preach on Sunday – everything is a gift from Him. Even my breath is a gift from God.
A baby who is still in her mother’s womb doesn’t even have to consider how dependent she is. Whether she knows it consciously or not, every ounce of oxygen and food come through the umbilical cord that connects her to her mother. That is a picture of total dependence.
Once we’re born, we often think we’re really independent. We think we’re smart, talented, resourceful, clever, rich – whatever – because of ourselves. That attitude is prideful. It’s dangerous. It’s nonsense! And it moves us far from the shadow of the Almighty. In fact, God resists the proud, and only gives grace (favor, empowerment) to the humble. (1 Peter 5:5).
I’m convinced that anyone who received Jesus as Lord at an early age, became a student of the Bible, and ordered everything his or her entire life by what the Lord instructs in His Word (including diet and “lifestyle” choices), would inevitably live a long, healthy, and satisfied life. I’m also convinced that anyone who has lived far from the shadow of the Almighty can call on Him, repent, move into that secret place, live life His way, and begin living a longer and more satisfying life than they would have thought possible.
Are you living in the shadow of the Almighty? Are you really trying to live life His way? Do you regularly declare your total dependence on Him? Or are you filled with pride and rebellion, living way outside His shadow? The honest answer to that question will determine whether the promise in Psalm 91:16 belongs to you. My prayer is that you’ll run to Him and never, ever leave.