Devotion • June 10
Today's Scripture
Psalm 116
I love the Lord, because he has heard my voice and my supplications.
Because he inclined his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live.
The snares of death encompassed me; the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me; I suffered distress and anguish.
Then I called on the name of the Lord: “O Lord, I pray, save my life!”
Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; our God is merciful.
The Lord protects the simple; when I was brought low, he saved me.
Return, O my soul, to your rest, for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you.
For you have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling.
I walk before the Lord in the land of the living.
I kept my faith, even when I said, “I am greatly afflicted”;
I said in my consternation, “Everyone is a liar.”
What shall I return to the Lord for all his bounty to me?
I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord,
I will pay my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people.
Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his faithful ones.
O Lord, I am your servant; I am your servant, the child of your serving girl. You have loosed my bonds.
I will offer to you a thanksgiving sacrifice and call on the name of the Lord.
I will pay my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people,
in the courts of the house of the Lord, in your midst, O Jerusalem. Praise the Lord! (NRSV)
Reflection
Psalm 116, ascribed by many commentators to King David himself, is a song of thanksgiving, a celebration of God’s merciful love.
While experiencing a grave illness, the psalmist recounts being in relationship with the Lord, asking for relief, seeking God’s solace. And, once delivered, the psalmist wonders how to show God his gratitude. More on that later.
I experienced agonizing pain after foot surgery. The medicine made me nauseous, so I took Ibuprofen instead, which had little effect. My focus narrowed to alleviating the pain. I can imagine the psalmist’s suffering, and amidst the pain, God is present and delivers him through it.
The psalmist praises God’s steadfastness and celebrates being “seen” by God, even while the psalmist is weak and being uncharitable to others.
Most compelling to me is that Psalm 116 shines light on the fact that God is present in all aspects of our lives. In the obvious challenges, of course, like physical illness or loss of livelihood, but also the interior battles we face and stoically keep private. We’ve all been there, right? Feeling “less than” and falling short of our own expectations of ourselves?
God sees us and knows our struggles and loves us in spite of and, perhaps more importantly, because of our human weakness.
In gratitude, the psalmist writes not once but twice, “I will call on the name of the Lord” and “I will pay my vows to the Lord in the presence of his people.”
As Christians, we can never repay the gifts of grace and salvation given to us through Jesus’ death on the cross. We can, however, witness to the power and grace of God’s love, in community with one another. And we can be jubilantly grateful to God, like the psalmist, and faithfully love the Lord and each other.
Prayer
Loving Creator God, thank you for still loving me at my lowest moments. Be with me in my joys and sorrows. Uphold me in my struggles. In gratitude for your all-encompassing love, may I be an instrument of your peace to others. Amen.
Written by Holly O’Mara, Member of Fourth Presbyterian Church
Reflection and Prayer © Fourth Presbyterian Church
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