Psalms 116:1-19 I love the LORD, because he hath heard my voice and my supplications. Because he hath inclined his ear unto me, therefore will I call upon him as long as I live. The sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of hell gat hold upon me: I found trouble and sorrow. Then called I upon the name of the LORD; O LORD, I beseech thee, deliver my soul. Gracious is the LORD, and righteous; yea, our God is merciful. The LORD preserveth the simple: I was brought low, and he helped me. Return unto thy rest, O my soul; for the LORD hath dealt bountifully with thee. For thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling. I will walk before the LORD in the land of the living. I believed, therefore have I spoken: I was greatly afflicted: I said in my haste, All men are liars. What shall I render unto the LORD for all his benefits toward me? I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the LORD. I will pay my vows unto the LORD now in the presence of all his people. Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints. O LORD, truly I am thy servant; I am thy servant, and the son of thine handmaid: thou hast loosed my bonds. I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the LORD. I will pay my vows unto the LORD now in the presence of all his people, In the courts of the LORD'S house, in the midst of thee, O Jerusalem. Praise ye the LORD.
At different times of my life certain passages of Scripture
have marked the moment with me. The
above passage is one of those “marks”.
If you are like me, you have felt the graciousness of God on your life
after a great trial or after returning from a time of rebellion.
Whatever the case may be, you and I both know He does NOT give us what
we deserve! He has been pretty good to
us!
In verse 13, there is a phrase that we can glide over if we
are not careful. What is the “cup of
salvation”? In the mornings I like to
have a good hot cup of coffee while I open my Bible and read. It wakes me up and I sip on it with great
pleasure. Maybe you are a hot tea
drinker, whichever you prefer, you know that feeling of getting your favorite morning beverage in
your hands as you greet the day. Well,
here the Psalmist is reflecting on all that God has done for him and all he has
been delivered from, then he says he will take the cup of Salvation and call
upon the name of the Lord. Frankly, if
you go to reading all the commentaries on this phrase you may end up a little
confused. But if you take this all in context you will find that no matter how
the commentaries differ, they all agree that it is an acknowledgement of the
goodness of God’s salvation and the act of remembering it.
I don’t forget to make coffee in the mornings. I don’t forget to drink it either. It is something that is part of my day. So my question to myself is, what is wrong with me that I would put more
importance on a cup of coffee than I would the cup of Salvation? I am not talking about the Eucharist, but the act of bowing my head while thanking God for all that Calvary means to me. The empty tomb, the
promise of His return, and the mercy shown to me, a sinner! Just typing these things makes me want to get
up from my table where my cold empty coffee cup sits and go pray and thank God
for His goodness! If He never did
another thing for you and me, we will still have received a million times more
than what we deserve!
Don’t get upset at God and go demanding your “rights” to
Him when sin has caused some destruction in your life. He has extended His hand in Romans 8:28 to us
and then goes on to tell us NOTHING can separate us from His love, so why are
you so upset with Him? He has done
nothing wrong! Take some time to reflect
like the Psalmist did and realize God has loaded you down with benefits.
I am not writing from the viewpoint of teacher to student
here. I am telling you that over the
last few months as I have battled in my own battles, I SHOULD have taken time
to ponder the “cup of salvation” and let His goodness speak louder than my
sorrow! Oh that I would learn from the Scripture and follow what It says!
If you are able to read this today, you have eyes that
see. You have a functioning brain that
has allowed you to click a link and “open” it up to read these words. There are those in a hospital bed today that
can do none of this. There are those in
countries where there is no electricity, much less money for a computer, who can
NOT do what you are doing right now.
There are those who are on their knees right now in some muslim country
crying because they are being beaten and they do NOT know our God. They don’t know the HOPE that is in Jesus
Christ. You and I are beyond
blessed. I don’t have to feel obligated
today to go down to a temple and ring a bell or light a candle to a false
god. I don’t need to pray the rosary or
kiss a statue and cross my chest in hopes of a blessing. No, I can sit here with the LIVING WORD OF
GOD and claim the promises written therein for my life today and know without a
shadow of a doubt that my God, the Creator of this universe will bend His
divine ear to hear my voice. This puts
me to tears. How humbling a
thought!
Take a moment to reflect on how blessed you are. Even if you just signed some divorce papers
or you are in a financial mess at the moment, your God is still on the Throne
and He has not left or forsaken you if you are His child. Reflect on Him before you reflect on your
problems. He can change the lives of your wayward children. He can change your heart to accept your current circumstances with joy instead of a frown. He absolutely can make a way for you to look up again instead of weeping. He didn't hold back His only Son from you did He? Then why aren't you trusting and thanking Him?
Practical tip: Every
time you pick up a cup, think about the “cup of Salvation”. Thank God for what He has done, what He is
doing and what He is going to do.
Until next time, Lord willing,
Sheri
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