In my daily living, reading the Psalms melt my heart every time. The Psalms in the Bible were sometimes so humanly yet very deep spiritually. Most of the situations were very relatable, and I admire the ones who wrote them. They are so clear on the provision and power of the Lord.
The other day, I welcomed the Holy Spirit into our dwelling place –asked him to protect us from any bad things entering our door, especially the ‘Angel of Death’ to keep it away, in the name of Lord Jesus Christ. Our small rooms cleanse in his name and welcoming the spirit in the heart and mind of the dwellers as we lived among deities of several kinds for over a good period of time.
However, what had happened the next day is a good reminder of the able God and his protection I had invoked upon the day before is the need of the hour:
It was early in the morning when I drove my children to school, a Cab hits our car on the side of the passenger seat where my son was sitting with his school project holding in his hand. The cab was blocked from my view by another cab which is waiting to fill his gas. But it was so wrong of the other driver to reverse in a hurry in front of a residential gate. Yet it is so useless to argue with them as it is beyond explanation feeling alienated in one’s own country.
Our God had protected us even outside our house where I had asked for his protection the day before. And, we were safe except for the dent in our car, which leaves the sight of it a bit ugly. Nevertheless, a bit of ugly is way better than being either one of us getting hurt in the accident.
Oh, and that same morning when my wife was going to her workplace, she somehow faces a mishap again while boarding the public bus service hurting her upper thigh on the hard surface of the road as she fell. But it turns out to be a minor as she can continue her work withholding the pain although with some amount of difficulty.
Here in this post, I’m not trying to give you a detailed explanation and/or historical background of Psalms 116 but the words, the trust, the gratitude, the benefits of trusting God, ad a testimony that I had mentioned already.
Psalms 116:
One day as I was alone, as usual, while my children go to school and my wife in her workplace, I am reading through this Psalms. It has given me a sense of relief for being delivered even to the point of death and many other severe attacks several times due to my neurological disorder, which I had acquired unexpectedly. Unexpectedly so, I said it, because there is no trace of evidence in the gene or hereditary in nature from both sides of my parents. And, it made me questioned why it ever occur to me to this day although I am way beyond my initial stage of questioning it.
Now, verses 1-4 of Psalms 116 is a song of gratitude for hearing our cry; the cry of the Psalmist. The Lord hears those who called on him. Death, grave, distress, and sorrow are better known to those who once felt it and been through it. We may not remind ourselves in our daily activities but we are saved from the jaws of death every minute-every seconds. Those with chronic illness may feel deeply some time in their life. Distress and sorrow are the ingredients of life through which we can possess a thankful attitude to the Lord.
Verses 1-4
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 over me;
I was overcome by distress and sorrow.
Then I called on the name of the LORD:
LORD, save me!”
The next verses 5-7 is proclaiming the Lord who he is. The compassionate God meets our needs and is always caring towards us. Being righteously looking after the people beyond the wicked mind of humans makes the Lord sometimes appear as being unjust. But he saves us all. In his goodness, he gives rest to lowly life of man outside the Garden.
Verses 5-7
The LORD is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion.
The LORD protects the unwary; when I was brought low, he saved me.
Return to your rest, my soul, for the LORD has been good to you.
Moving forward, verses 8-11 is the beautiful testimony of the delivered. We all are delivered at one point in our walk of life but not all testify the deliverance of the Lord from our impending sin, perseverance, afflictions,and many more. He makes us being able to walk in the land.
Verses 8-11
For you, LORD, have delivered me from death,
my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling,
that I may walk before the LORD in the land of the living.
I trusted in the LORD when I said,“I am greatly afflicted”;
In my alarm, I said, “Everyone is a liar.”
12-14 depicted the gratitude of the psalmist and his willingness to repay back although it was too great for a man to ever did it so. Second, the benefits of his deliverance – the cup of salvation within reach ad the presence of the Lord testified.
What shall I return to 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.
Verses 15-19
Verses 15-19 is submission to the Lord because of his great work upon human. Then the heart humbly commits himself to be a faithful servant in simpler and greater terms but only God intended us to be. It reminded us again of thanksgiving offering and fulfilling our vows to the Lord.
Precious in the sight of the LORD
Is the death of his faithful servants.
Truly I am your servant, LORD;
I serve you just as my mother did;
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, Jerusalem.
(The psalmist ends herewith Praising the Lord:))
Praise the LORD. Hallelu Yah
