What does Psalm 91:14 mean?
God promises to deliver and protect the person who clings to Him in love. The primary fulfillment of this is eternal, as those who come to Christ in salvation receive everlasting life (John 3:16–18). Those who follow godly wisdom and remain near to the Lord's will also give themselves a better chance at avoiding disaster (Proverbs 1:7; 9:11–12). Some see a messianic tone to these words. Satan used part of this passage to tempt Jesus (Psalm 91:11–12; Matthew 4:5–6), who rejected it as a twisting of the Word (Matthew 4:7; Deuteronomy 6:16).The word for "love" used here is a Hebrew term implying delight or longing. The same term is seen in Deuteronomy 7:7 and 10:15 regarding God's approach to the nation of Israel. This sets a high standard.
When Jesus asked Peter, "Do you love me?" (John 21:16), He used the highest Greek word for love, from the root agapao, a self-sacrificing love. It is the kind of love God demonstrated by giving His Son as the sacrifice for our sins (John 3:16; Romans 5:8). Jesus affirmed that the greatest commandment is to "love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind" (Matthew 22:37). Such love for God mirrors His love for His people. The apostle John noted this fact in 1 John 4:19: "We love because he first loved us."
Psalm 91:14 further identifies the person who loves God as one who knows the Lord's name. In other words, he has learned by experience that the Lord is good and perfect in all He is and does.
