Monday, May 12, 2014

The One that We Can Trust

Psalm 116

English Standard Version (ESV)

I Love the Lord

116 I (A)love the Lord, because he has (B)heard
    my voice and my pleas for mercy.
Because he (C)inclined his ear to me,
    therefore I will call on him as long as I live.
(D)The snares of death encompassed me;
    the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me;
    I suffered distress and anguish.
Then (E)I called on the name of the Lord:
    “O Lord, I pray, deliver my soul!”

(F)Gracious is the Lord, and (G)righteous;
    our God is (H)merciful.
The Lord preserves (I)the simple;
    when (J)I was brought low, he saved me.
Return, O my soul, to your (K)rest;
    for the Lord has (L)dealt bountifully with you.
For (M)you have delivered my soul from death,
    my eyes from tears,
    my feet from stumbling;
I will walk before the Lord
    (N)in the land of the living.
10 (O)I believed, (P)even when[a] I spoke:
    “I am greatly afflicted”;
11 (Q)I said in my alarm,
    (R)“All mankind are liars.”
12 What shall I (S)render to the Lord
    for all his benefits to me?
13 I will lift up (T)the cup of salvation
    and (U)call on the name of the Lord,
14 I will (V)pay my vows to the Lord
    in the presence of all his people.
15 (W)Precious in the sight of the Lord
    is the death of his (X)saints.
16 O Lord, I am your (Y)servant;
    I am your servant, (Z)the son of your maidservant.
    You have (AA)loosed my bonds.
17 I will (AB)offer to you the sacrifice of thanksgiving
    and (AC)call on the name of the Lord.
18 I will (AD)pay my vows to the Lord
    in the presence of all his people,
19 in (AE)the courts of the house of the Lord,
    in your midst, O Jerusalem.
(AF)Praise the Lord!

David was at a very low point in his life.  God had done mighty acts through David and David gave him the praise.  Yet now David finds himself running from his best friend’s father, the King of Israel.  His friends have become his enemy and he knows of no one that he can trust.  Death seems to be lurking at his door.  What does a man do?  Why is he in this predicament?

David did not blame God for his state of being but rather called upon His name.  Could it be that God allowed this to happen so David would know of the mighty power and love of the Heavenly Father?   Because of the poor conditions in which David found himself, he was able to remember that it was never about his own great works that life had been good but because of the works of the Heavenly Father through David.  David was humbled so that God could be exalted. 

The story is no different for you and for me.  Maybe God has not called us to be Kings and Queens of a nation.  Maybe He has not given us the riches that come with that title.  Maybe we are just lowly, simple people who don’t seem to have any influence in this world.  Well God’s Word says that He will preserve us.  The Word goes on to tell us that we are precious in His sight even in death.  We, who know the Father, need to remember to praise Him, honor Him, thank Him, seek Him, and love Him with all our hearts.  He is the One who will see us through those moments when life seems to be the worst that it can get. 

Seeking Him with all my heart,

Sheila


No comments:

Post a Comment