 |
| Image: Pixabay |
TO CHEW ON: “I love the LORD, because He has heard
My voice and my supplications” - Psalm 116:1
The writer of this psalm has just been through a terrifying and life-threatening experience - Psalm 116:3, 6, 8, 9.
He refers to some of the things he did (and that we typically do) during this time:
- Pray (make “supplication” = humble prayer, entreaty, petition); call on God , “implore” for deliverance - Psalm 116:1,2, 4.
- Invoke God’s name (which implies an acknowledgement of His ability, power, and reputation) - Psalm 116:4.
- Cry - Psalm 116:8.
- Believe - Psalm 116:10.
- Make vows (promises) to God of what we’ll do if we get better - Psalm 116:14,18.
Now recovered, he:
- Tells God he loves Him - Psalm 116:1. (I love how my Bible’s study notes elaborate on this: “‘I love he LORD’ is the exact response God’s heart desires as a result of God’s interventions in our lives” - Dick Iverson, New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 777.)
- Declares that he will pray to God as long as he lives - Psalm 116:2.
- States that he will keep walking with God - Psalm 116:9.
- Gives thanks for salvation - Psalm 116:13, and recovery - Psalm 116:16.
- Promises to pay his vows, to keep those sickbed promises - Psalm 116:16.
Doesn’t Psalm 116 express well those feelings of relief and gratitude we also feel on getting better? It would be a wonderful praying-the-Bible passage to express thanks for recovery from sickness or other life-threatening time.
It also has a beautiful reminder for us when God denies our prayers to get better:
“Precious in the sight of the Lord
Is the death of His saints” - Psalm 116:15.
PRAYER: Dear Father, thank You for so often being Healer and Helper to me. Help me to respond with gratitude, praise, kept promises, and love. Amen.
*********
Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
No comments:
Post a Comment