I Declare the Salvation of My God
Scripture Passage: Psalm 116:8-19 (NASB)
8 For You have rescued my soul from death,
My eyes from tears,
My feet from stumbling.
9 I shall walk before the Lord
In the land of the living.
10 I believed when I said,
“I am greatly afflicted.”
11 I said in my alarm,
“All men are liars.”
12 What shall I render to the Lord
For all His benefits toward me?
13 I shall lift up the cup of salvation
And call upon the name of the Lord.
14 I shall pay my vows to the Lord,
Oh may it be in the presence of all His people.
15 Precious in the sight of the Lord
Is the death of His godly ones.
16 O Lord, surely I am Your servant,
I am Your servant, the son of Your handmaid,
You have loosed my bonds.
17 To You I shall offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving,
And call upon the name of the Lord.
18 I shall pay my vows to the Lord,
Oh may it be in the presence of all His people,
19 In the courts of the Lord’s house,
In the midst of you, O Jerusalem.
Praise the Lord!
SUMMARY
This psalm is a psalm that declares the salvation of God. In verse 8, the psalmist declares that God has rescued his soul from death, his eyes from tears, and his feet from stumbling. He ponders on what he can give to the Lord for all His blessings toward him. His offering consists of thanksgiving for the salvation God has granted him, calling upon the name of the Lord, paying his vows to the Lord, and this he longs to do in the presence of all God's people in the courts of the Lord's house!
MEDITATION & REFLECTION
I give glory and praise to God for allowing me to meditate on this psalm this week because it came right when I needed it. I am going to share a spiritual battle I had experienced a few nights ago. Wednesday night, I woke up in the middle of the night full of fear. I felt utterly alone and I was not believing the promises of God for me. It felt like cords of death were encompassing me (Psalm 116:3) and I feared I wouldn't make it... but then, I called upon the name of the Lord Jesus and cried out to Him to save me! Not long after, fear left me and I believed in God's promises for me once again, that He is always with me. God had heard my cry and He answered me. He didn't turn me away, close His eyes and ignore me, or say with contempt, "There she goes again..." He answered me, and He answers me every time. "Therefore, I shall call upon Him as long as I live" (Psalm 116:2).
Reading this psalm, I was amazed because the words were perfect in describing what had happened Wednesday night (I read this passage the morning after). Surely, He rescued my soul from death and fear, my eyes from tears and distress, and my feet from stumbling in my doubt and unbelief (v. 8). And so I will say, "I shall walk before the Lord in the land of the living" (v. 9). And in return for His blessings toward me, I will give thanks all the days of my life for the cup of salvation that He has given me, I will call upon the Lord's name alone in every celebration and every distress, and I will surrender my life in obedience to His will by His grace. Oh, how I look forward to the day that I will stand before Him and my brothers and sisters in His heavenly courts!
APPLICATION
I am so thankful for God's Word. I receive so much comfort from it because God speaks to me through it, and shows me that I am not alone in my struggles as well as the way out of my distresses and troubles. I am challenged and inspired to get closer to the Word of God. I have made several applications regarding reading and meditating on the Word before, but this application never seems to get old for me. The Word of God gives me life and leads me to life. I want to make sure I am well-equipped by being in the Word and hiding it in my heart so that when trials and temptations come, I can quickly grab and wield my sword that I have kept close by and have practiced training with (Ephesians 6:17). I have been following a daily Bible reading plan, but I would skip some days. I will fight to have quality time in God's Word each day.
PRAYER
Dear Heavenly Father, I am so blessed to have You. I am Yours, and You are mine. Nothing can change that. Thank You, Lord, for Your endless mercies toward me each day. Thank You for saving my soul from death, comforting my soul, and helping me to recover from stumbling. I can't live a moment without You. Draw me closer to Yourself through Your living Word and the guidance of Your Holy Spirit. In Jesus' name, Amen.
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