“Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him; I will protect him, because he knows my name.”
Psalms 20:1 May the LORD answer you in the day of trouble! May the name of the God of Jacob protect you! May he send you help from the sanctuary and give you support from Zion! May he remember all your offerings and regard with favor your burnt sacrifices! May he grant you your heart’s desire and fulfill all your plans! May we shout for joy over your salvation, and in the name of our God set up our banners! May the LORD fulfill all your petitions!
Psalms 41:1 Blessed is the one who considers the poor! In the day of trouble the LORD delivers him;
Psalms 60:11 Oh, grant us help against the foe, for vain is the salvation of man!
Psalms 91:15 When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him
Psalms 138:7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life
Psalms 9:10 And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek you.
Proverbs 18:10 The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe.
Isaiah 50:10 Who among you fears the LORD and obeys the voice of his servant? Let him who walks in darkness and has no light trust in the name of the LORD and rely on his God.
These verses “Let him who walks in darkness and has no light trust in the name of the Lord and rely on his God”, “Because he knows my name and holds fast to me”, “The righteous man runs to the name of the Lord and is safe” make it very clear walking with God is full of help in times of trouble. Yet it makes clear the righteous man, the one who loves God and holds on to Him is the person who has this hope. How can we call on someone if we don’t know them? Knowing of and knowing is like knowing of the name of a person who has power and means to help you but you only know of their name. How do we know if they will respond or how they will respond? If we know of them and not know them personally we have no clue how they will respond to us. We may have heard from someone else how they were helped but this gives us no assurance this person would help us.
Knowing of God: Hear His name, heard some of the stories of what He has done, believe He exists, has no influence in daily life, is rarely thought of unless there is trouble in your life, serving self, culture has more influence, His word is not written on your heart and anchored in your mind, trying to perform in a way that makes you worthy of His love.
Knowing God: Know Him by name, has impact in your life, is always present in your mind, deep desire to know Him more, listening for and to that quiet small voice leading you, obeying His leading, trusting in, relying on, and clinging to Him, His word is before you constantly, you live to humbly serve, honor, glorify, and obey Him, it is by His grace and mercy through Jesus Christ alone you are made clean.
How can we “Know His word,” “Believe in His word,” “Trust in His word,” “Obey His word,” if we don’t read His word with a heart deep desire to know Him.
