Post by Cindy on May 17, 2015 6:15:46 GMT -5
I want to share psalm 116-117 with you as they have a wonderful lesson for us about how to react when we're going through a severe trial. When we first begin to read the psalm we quickly find out that the author had been through a great deal, almost dying because of what had happened to him. We also learn that when it happened, his first thought was to call out to the Lord for help and that the Lord did indeed help him:
“I love the LORD, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy. Because he turned his ear to me, I will call on him as long as I live. The cords of death entangled me, the anguish of the grave came upon me; I was overcome by trouble and sorrow. Then I called on the name of the LORD: “O LORD, save me!” The LORD is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion. The LORD protects the simplehearted; when I was in great need, he saved me. Be at rest once more, O my soul, for the LORD has been good to you. For you, O LORD, have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling, that I may walk before the LORD in the land of the living. I believed; therefore I said, “I am greatly afflicted.” And in my dismay I said, “All men are liars.” How can I repay the LORD for all his goodness to me? I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD. I will fulfill my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people. Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints. O LORD, truly I am your servant; I am your servant, the son of your maidservant; you have freed me from my chains. I will sacrifice a thank offering to you and call on the name of the LORD. I will fulfill my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people, in the courts of the house of the LORD— in your midst, O Jerusalem. Praise the LORD.” (Psalm 116)
“Praise the LORD, all you nations; extol him, all you peoples. For great is his love toward us, and the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever. Praise the LORD.” (Psalm 117)
Next we learn that whatever happened to him was caused by someone he cared about who lied to him, which apparently came near to causing his death before the Lord saved him. This betrayal caused him a great deal of grief. The term "simplehearted" simply means someone who has no guile & is instead innocent in the ways of evil.
Notice that although he was going through a great trial, that would normally cause someone great anxiety, as he tells us what happened, he's also showing us that during the trial, he told himself what to do. First he told how he had called on the Lord, then he remembered what the Lord had done in the past for him, which reminded him of the Lord's mercy and love. Now he tells himself that since this is all true, he should simply "be at rest"; "relax", and let the Lord take care of him as He always has. In other words, he's telling himself and us that there's no reason to be anxious about anything.
Then he reminds himself of some of the specific ways the Lord has helped him in the past, so that he could live without worrying. First he reminds himself that God saved him from eternal death as well as physical death; that God also gave him peace in his grief he felt over the betrayal. Finally he says that the Lord also helps keep him from continuing in sin. This is what stumbling means. It doesn't mean that he never sins or makes a mistake, it means that he never continues in it once he realizes the sin. He's saying the Lord always convicts him, bringing him to repentance, at which point the Lord forgives him so he can get up and continue on with his life in a close relationship with the Lord, instead of being alienated from Him. He even tells us why the Lord does all this for him and for us: so we can walk with Him in this life! He points out that the Lord does this not so we can die, but so we can live our lives for Him.
Verse 10 can be difficult: “I believed; therefore I said, “I am greatly afflicted.”” (Psalm 116:10) Other translations make it a bit clearer for us though, such as the ESV or the one I like best is the NET version: “I had faith when I said, “I am severely oppressed.”” In other words, he's saying that even though he realized he was greatly afflicted or going through a very hard trial, that he also had faith that the Lord would deliver Him from it, no matter how bad things looked at the moment. He's telling himself the truth, that he will live, instead of believing the lie that others were apparently telling him, that he was dying.
Remembering how he was lied to, and perhaps how others were constantly telling him to either help himself or how they would help save him, when he knew he was beyond the help of humans, and knowing his own sin nature, he says "all men are liars". But rather then focus on that, and on how people had hurt him, he again turns his mind back to the Lord and how He helped him. Considering all the ways the Lord has helped him, he feels grateful and naturally wants to thank the Lord somehow. But the Lord needs nothing from us, so He offers the only thing he can, the sacrifice of praise along with continued obedience to Him both in private and public.
Verse 15 is precious to many of us: “Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.” (Psalm 116:15) Some say this verse means simply that the death of someone who's saved grieves the Lord, but that can't be entirely true as it would make God out to be a simple observer without any power to change things if He desired to, and we know that's not true. The author had already said that the Lord had saved him from death. Instead, the author is saying that he realizes that because the Lord treasures us and we belong to Him, that He will not allow any of us to be killed by some trial or accident before our time. That just as our births happen on His timetable, so do our deaths. They are not random and without meaning, no matter how much it may appear that they are. So when one of us dies, it's part of the Lord's loving plan that He made for us long ago. His Word tells us that when the Lord created us, “your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” (Psalm 139:16) See also: Ephesians 1:11; Jeremiah 29:11. We tend to view our lives both as though we were the ones in control of what happens to us, except when other people force things to go some way we don't want them to, or as though everything happens just by chance, or more often as a combination of all those things. But that's not at all true. That's what Satan and the world want us to think. The Truth is that God created us and made a plan for our entire lives for each one of us. That plan is not subject to chance or anyone's whims including our own. God is in control all the time. He doesn't go off duty or take naps and let things "just happen". Furthermore, we know that His plan for us is for our good and His glory; it's to give us hope and a wonderful future, a future with Him for eternity. Because Jesus conquered death, we have no reason at all to fear it. Jesus has told us He will never leave us, and that includes the moment of our death. He will be with us then just as He is right now. The glorious truth is that when we die, He is with us, and the next breath we take will be with Him in heaven! Sometimes we focus on "our last breath", but what's more true is that we will take one last breath here and the next one will be in heaven. There will be no interruption, at least not to us. To those left behind, it will seem as though there has been, but that's because they're still only seeing the physical world and the world is much more then that!
Remember the story of Elisha and his servant in 2 Kings 6? They were surrounded by the enemies army and the servant thought that for sure they were about to die. Elisha calmly prays asking the Lord to open his servants eyes so he can see the Truth. The Truth was that the enemy army was surrounded by the army of the Lord! (2 Kings 6:17) The same is true for all of us. We don't see what's really going on in this world, because we only see the physical and there's so much more then that!
As the psalm continues, because the author knows that his life and even his death are under God's loving control, he tells the Lord that he wants to serve Him instead of himself or others in this world. In his thankfulness for all God's done for him, he again affirms that he will make a sacrifice of praise to the Lord fulfilling the vows he made when he was in trouble & cried out for His help, & that he will do this in the Lord's temple in Jerusalem. He then ends by calling everyone to praise God and telling them they should do so because the Lord loves us so much and we can always count on Him being faithful to us and doing just what He says He will in His Word. I'd like to end this by quoting something from one of my books:
Life will throw us many curve balls. The circumstances may make it appear as though God has forgotten you, but He sees you, hears you, has compassion for you, and always burns with love for you. He is faithful. Trust in Him through whatever life throws at you, honor Him by believing that He is good and He could never forget you. Trust, believe, and know that your God is with you. Your name is engraved on the palm of His hand. You are His. Never forgotten, forever loved. God hears you. God loves you. God knows your name! Always and forever, amen! God knows my name: Never forgotten, forever loved.
“I love the LORD, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy. Because he turned his ear to me, I will call on him as long as I live. The cords of death entangled me, the anguish of the grave came upon me; I was overcome by trouble and sorrow. Then I called on the name of the LORD: “O LORD, save me!” The LORD is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion. The LORD protects the simplehearted; when I was in great need, he saved me. Be at rest once more, O my soul, for the LORD has been good to you. For you, O LORD, have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling, that I may walk before the LORD in the land of the living. I believed; therefore I said, “I am greatly afflicted.” And in my dismay I said, “All men are liars.” How can I repay the LORD for all his goodness to me? I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD. I will fulfill my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people. Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints. O LORD, truly I am your servant; I am your servant, the son of your maidservant; you have freed me from my chains. I will sacrifice a thank offering to you and call on the name of the LORD. I will fulfill my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people, in the courts of the house of the LORD— in your midst, O Jerusalem. Praise the LORD.” (Psalm 116)
“Praise the LORD, all you nations; extol him, all you peoples. For great is his love toward us, and the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever. Praise the LORD.” (Psalm 117)
Next we learn that whatever happened to him was caused by someone he cared about who lied to him, which apparently came near to causing his death before the Lord saved him. This betrayal caused him a great deal of grief. The term "simplehearted" simply means someone who has no guile & is instead innocent in the ways of evil.
Notice that although he was going through a great trial, that would normally cause someone great anxiety, as he tells us what happened, he's also showing us that during the trial, he told himself what to do. First he told how he had called on the Lord, then he remembered what the Lord had done in the past for him, which reminded him of the Lord's mercy and love. Now he tells himself that since this is all true, he should simply "be at rest"; "relax", and let the Lord take care of him as He always has. In other words, he's telling himself and us that there's no reason to be anxious about anything.
Then he reminds himself of some of the specific ways the Lord has helped him in the past, so that he could live without worrying. First he reminds himself that God saved him from eternal death as well as physical death; that God also gave him peace in his grief he felt over the betrayal. Finally he says that the Lord also helps keep him from continuing in sin. This is what stumbling means. It doesn't mean that he never sins or makes a mistake, it means that he never continues in it once he realizes the sin. He's saying the Lord always convicts him, bringing him to repentance, at which point the Lord forgives him so he can get up and continue on with his life in a close relationship with the Lord, instead of being alienated from Him. He even tells us why the Lord does all this for him and for us: so we can walk with Him in this life! He points out that the Lord does this not so we can die, but so we can live our lives for Him.
Verse 10 can be difficult: “I believed; therefore I said, “I am greatly afflicted.”” (Psalm 116:10) Other translations make it a bit clearer for us though, such as the ESV or the one I like best is the NET version: “I had faith when I said, “I am severely oppressed.”” In other words, he's saying that even though he realized he was greatly afflicted or going through a very hard trial, that he also had faith that the Lord would deliver Him from it, no matter how bad things looked at the moment. He's telling himself the truth, that he will live, instead of believing the lie that others were apparently telling him, that he was dying.
Remembering how he was lied to, and perhaps how others were constantly telling him to either help himself or how they would help save him, when he knew he was beyond the help of humans, and knowing his own sin nature, he says "all men are liars". But rather then focus on that, and on how people had hurt him, he again turns his mind back to the Lord and how He helped him. Considering all the ways the Lord has helped him, he feels grateful and naturally wants to thank the Lord somehow. But the Lord needs nothing from us, so He offers the only thing he can, the sacrifice of praise along with continued obedience to Him both in private and public.
Verse 15 is precious to many of us: “Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.” (Psalm 116:15) Some say this verse means simply that the death of someone who's saved grieves the Lord, but that can't be entirely true as it would make God out to be a simple observer without any power to change things if He desired to, and we know that's not true. The author had already said that the Lord had saved him from death. Instead, the author is saying that he realizes that because the Lord treasures us and we belong to Him, that He will not allow any of us to be killed by some trial or accident before our time. That just as our births happen on His timetable, so do our deaths. They are not random and without meaning, no matter how much it may appear that they are. So when one of us dies, it's part of the Lord's loving plan that He made for us long ago. His Word tells us that when the Lord created us, “your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” (Psalm 139:16) See also: Ephesians 1:11; Jeremiah 29:11. We tend to view our lives both as though we were the ones in control of what happens to us, except when other people force things to go some way we don't want them to, or as though everything happens just by chance, or more often as a combination of all those things. But that's not at all true. That's what Satan and the world want us to think. The Truth is that God created us and made a plan for our entire lives for each one of us. That plan is not subject to chance or anyone's whims including our own. God is in control all the time. He doesn't go off duty or take naps and let things "just happen". Furthermore, we know that His plan for us is for our good and His glory; it's to give us hope and a wonderful future, a future with Him for eternity. Because Jesus conquered death, we have no reason at all to fear it. Jesus has told us He will never leave us, and that includes the moment of our death. He will be with us then just as He is right now. The glorious truth is that when we die, He is with us, and the next breath we take will be with Him in heaven! Sometimes we focus on "our last breath", but what's more true is that we will take one last breath here and the next one will be in heaven. There will be no interruption, at least not to us. To those left behind, it will seem as though there has been, but that's because they're still only seeing the physical world and the world is much more then that!
Remember the story of Elisha and his servant in 2 Kings 6? They were surrounded by the enemies army and the servant thought that for sure they were about to die. Elisha calmly prays asking the Lord to open his servants eyes so he can see the Truth. The Truth was that the enemy army was surrounded by the army of the Lord! (2 Kings 6:17) The same is true for all of us. We don't see what's really going on in this world, because we only see the physical and there's so much more then that!
As the psalm continues, because the author knows that his life and even his death are under God's loving control, he tells the Lord that he wants to serve Him instead of himself or others in this world. In his thankfulness for all God's done for him, he again affirms that he will make a sacrifice of praise to the Lord fulfilling the vows he made when he was in trouble & cried out for His help, & that he will do this in the Lord's temple in Jerusalem. He then ends by calling everyone to praise God and telling them they should do so because the Lord loves us so much and we can always count on Him being faithful to us and doing just what He says He will in His Word. I'd like to end this by quoting something from one of my books:
Life will throw us many curve balls. The circumstances may make it appear as though God has forgotten you, but He sees you, hears you, has compassion for you, and always burns with love for you. He is faithful. Trust in Him through whatever life throws at you, honor Him by believing that He is good and He could never forget you. Trust, believe, and know that your God is with you. Your name is engraved on the palm of His hand. You are His. Never forgotten, forever loved. God hears you. God loves you. God knows your name! Always and forever, amen! God knows my name: Never forgotten, forever loved.