As I read Psalm 116 today I was repeatedly moved to compassion for Jesus as I read various verses or phrases. Although I can hear David, Moses or some other patriarch saying the words of verse one, for instance, I think of Jesus. No one knew better how to pray, communicate or rest in the presence of the Father more than Jesus, the Son. So in verse 1 I hear Jesus.
“I love the LORD because he hears my voice and my prayer for mercy.”
(As a side note the ASV uses the phrase, “I love Jehovah” in verse 1)
And you may well wonder how I could relate this verse to Jesus of all people? But it is the cry in the coming verse that links it back for me.
“Death wrapped its ropes around me;
the terrors of the grave overtook me.
I saw only trouble and sorrow.”
I find myself coming back to this scene in Mark 14 (below) so often. I care for the pain Jesus is bearing here and the anguish, I see that He understands us, He understands me.
“He took Peter, James, and John with him, and he became deeply troubled and distressed. He told them, “My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.” He went on a little farther and fell to the ground. He prayed that, if it were possible, the awful hour awaiting him might pass him by. “Abba, Father,” he cried out, “everything is possible for you. Please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.””
Mark 14:33-36 NLT (Luke 22:44)
I don’t know why we don’t use this Psalm more in funerals and to comfort dying and sick saints. Psalm 116:4-7 is deeply touching. It hits me at my core. I have lost loved ones for whom I cared deeply. And today as I read this Psalm I receive comfort for a weary soul. I think of the words written in Hebrews 2:15 that tell me that Jesus removes the fear of death. And I think of John 11:35 where Jesus weeps at the grave of Lazarus. And then we read:
“The Lord cares deeply
when his loved ones die.”
I know I’m a bit rambly this morning but emotions are like that. I want to shout to you who suffer with sorrow in a deeply caring voice, HE HEARS YOU! Really He hears you. God understands, He has been there, He has suffered so greatly. He knows pain. He knows sorrow. And He found His Father and the Spirit a comfort. Jesus knows your pain. He knows your suffering. He sees you. He hears you. And He shows you that you can love the Lord God your Father and Jesus His Son because they have given you the Spirit to comfort you and to pray for you and to minister to you. Oh let the words of Psalm 116:15 imprint themselves on your soul.
I have a problem and it is that I just want to copy and paste Bible verses to explain the Bible. I know that’s not really very good exegesis or hermeneutics or interesting Bible teaching. But I often read the Bible and think, what more can I say? This says it all. Here is the sermon. I got nothing to add to this. It is already so clear, so deep, so profound. I love God’s Word. I love it because it tells me the truth.
Psalm 116 ends with such relief and tired joy. I am disgusted by some prosperity Gospel, name-it-claim-it, happy blessed kingdom proclaimers because they deny the truth. Jesus was a man of sorrows. Come on! Read the Bible people. Yes we have blessings untold. But they are bought with a price. And the price is the way of the cross. Jesus definitely paid. But we too must die to ourselves. We must take up our cross and also give a sacrifice. There is no shortcut. There is no stay out of jail card. Listen to the Psalmist. HE HAD CHAINS. Don’t imagine for a moment that you are going to skip through life and not face death, pain, sorrow and chains. BUT!!!! He hears and sets us free.
16 O Lord, I am your servant;
yes, I am your servant, born into your household;
you have freed me from my chains.
17 I will offer you a sacrifice of thanksgiving
and call on the name of the Lord.
Yesterday (23/11/2023) was American Thanksgiving. We celebrated in Het Goede Boek Leuven between customers with a fried chicken made by our young Chinese neighbour and her 10 year old son, soup from my good English friend and his very European wife (also a great friend of ours), who cares for us by making us soup on Thursdays, and Joy from Zambia. We went around the table as is our tradition and said what we were thankful for and I prayed thanking God for His provision. It was great. We definitely had a sacrifice of thanksgiving and called upon the Lord.
Friendship requires suffering with your friends and giving up to care for your friends and feeling the pain and joy of your friends. Jesus did all that and more for you and for me. I see that in this Psalm and I hope you do too.
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| Handwritten Psalm 116 |
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