Psalm 116
By Diane Riley
The writer of Psalm 116 takes a look at God’s faithfulness and love throughout our life. Two parts of this psalm grab my heart. In verse 3 through 6, the poet writes of how he was near death, how he cried out to God, and how God answered him. I like The Message’s translation of verse 6: “when I was at the end of my rope, he saved me.”
I can’t count the number of times in my life when I thought all was lost, but God was there to save me: Divorce. Single motherhood. Blending a family with teenagers. Finding our “forever” home, only to lose it because of late-stage cancer. One example was when I was hospitalized with complications resulting from cancer surgery.
That night, the nurses were in and out, answering the buzzes and beeps, and looking very concerned. In my fog I realized that I could die that night. I wasn’t fearful but sad, because I was alone. At that point I felt a hand push my hair behind my ear, an action parents do instinctively when listening to a child. No one else—human—was in the room. But God was there. And I was assured that whatever happened that night—whether I lived or died—I wouldn’t be alone.
The second part that grabs me is in verses 12 to 14. Verse 12 asks a question voiced by Jew and Christian alike: “What can I offer the Lord, for all he has done for me?” (NLT). The answers the poet offers in verses 13 and 14 may appear simple, but are they really?
To “lift up the cup of salvation” (v. 13) we must first accept the cup as freely given. When we “praise the Lord’s name for saving” us (v. 13, NLT), we acknowledge that salvation comes only from God. Nothing we do or say will bring about salvation. We must humbly accept our redemption as a loving gift from God.
Next, the psalmist calls on us to acknowledge this “in the presence of all his people” (v. 14, NLT)—to be witnesses. Humbleness comes into play again. When people are amazed by our life story, we need to swallow our pride and humbly tell people that we would be nothing and would have nothing if not for God’s saving grace and mercy. Amen.
- Most people by adulthood have had a few times when they found themselves “at end of their rope.” Think of one time when you were going through a difficulty (illness, loss of a loved one, etc.), and describe how God answered when you called out, “Please, Lord, save me!” (vs. 4, NLT).
- Write your answer on a nice notecard. Keep the note in your Bible to re-read as you enter other difficult times in life.
- How have you lifted “up the cup of salvation”? The Message describes lifting up the cup of salvation as “a toast” to the Lord. That indicates a celebration of thankfulness. Do you celebrate when you lift the cup?
- Many people shy away from witnessing because they think there’s only one way to do it: out loud and in public. That is ONE way to witness, but not the ONLY way. Ask God to help you determine your method of witnessing, using the gifts he has given to you (writing, friendship, an open heart, willingness to help, etc.). How does that look when applied in your life?
- Why is witnessing to God’s love and faithfulness so important, especially in this day and age?
Diane Riley lives in Keene, New Hampshire, with her husband, Steve. Their three grown children and their families all live nearby. She has been a staff writer and editor at a daily local newspaper, proofreader and copy editor for publishers, and, for a short time, a high-school English teacher and administrative assistant at her church, Monadnock Covenant (MCC). She is a charter member of MCC, and has served on council and the leadership team, among other positions, and leads a women’s Bible study. For a short time she was a member of the East Coast Conference’s Women’s Ministry and was regional coordinator for AVA. She is semi-retired and attempting to write a novel.
As maples went, it wasn’t much of a tree. Its spindly trunk not even two inches in diameter, it was crammed in among towering evergreens at the edge of the lawn. With all the competition, it was a wonder that it had gotten as tall as it had. But the developer’s bulldozer had stopped just exactly there, and so it had been exposed to view, barely noticeable most of the year. But Just then from my back window it was hard to notice anything else. The pines were a deep, vivid green. Wisping among the boughs like an exotic stairway to heaven, the blazing maple leaves drew my eye up to the deep, cloudless blue above. It was spectacular in the sunlight, but I found that, even in the rain, the leaves seemed to produce their own light. I photographed it but was disappointed; I couldn’t capture an emotion digitally.
Somehow, I resemble that tree. In the crowded forest of my days, life continues pretty routinely – summer, spring, fall – until some event comes and digs away at my roots, ripping up some of my environs, removing some of my neighbors, getting a little too close for comfort, occasionally gashing my bark, wounding me. Later I notice that my view is different. I can see farther and some of my “branches” are in the sun, whereas, before, there was only filtered light. I grow a little stronger, filling out on the newly exposed side.
Shadowed by the pines, my back yard friend has grown tall, but not strong. Its neighbors support it. I can stand, too, supported by those around me. It would be difficult to be alone, on my own. Loved ones fill in the places where I am weak or underdeveloped and help shape my view of the world.
Perhaps, just perhaps, as God looks down on our seasons, his eye delights in the radiant colors, the sudden contrasts of green and gold and vermillion, and the feathery intertwining of our lives as we together lift our heads toward his light.
We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.
(Romans 5:3-5, NLT)
1. Think of a time when your ordinary world got upset by a life event. Were you open about needing help, or did you try to hide it from others?
2. Who did God use to help support you through that time? How did they do that?
3. How did you grow spiritually and emotionally from having worked through that situation?
4. Having been through your experience and, realizing that people generally are shy about revealing what they are struggling with, how do you think God has equipped you to minister? Who needs your support right now?
Ruth Johnson retired five years ago to be a live-in Grandma to her two school-age grandchildren and to do all the gardening she wants. She has kept her part-time job of 24 years as the Office Manager at the Covenant Church of Thomaston, Connecticut, because it really suits her skills and interests and she loves it.
Ephesians 2:10 ESV “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
The purpose of wholeness is not to perfect yourself, but to transform yourself into what you already are!
There is something very powerful about becoming more of you.
It is a humble acceptance of the way you have been created. It is agreeing, surrendering, and aligning yourself to who you already are. It is a true humility. You do not show up to please others. You do not seek approval from others. It is freeing. Wholeness is coming to an agreement with who God says you are. You then become bold and courageous in your life’s journey to becoming whole. You truly become fearless and unapologetic to who God says you are.
In my journey to wholeness, I have learned to graciously receive and embrace all that God has unfolded in my journey. This topic of wholeness has been transformative as a working mother, juggling many different responsibilities and wearing different hats on any given day. I used to live in a compartment, as a mother, a corporate woman working in the pharmaceutical industry and leading women’s ministry at my church. In these roles, I often try to fit into a mold I somehow have created. I did not think I could show up authentically to who I am and pursue my passion to encourage and mentor others in my workplace the same way I do in ministry and at home to my family. For the past three years I was working on an exit plan to walk away from the daily grind of corporate America to pursue my passion. But when I heard clearly from God to show up powerfully as my authentic self and pursue my passion, everything changed for me. My work has become meaningful and I have begun to add value and impact others by serving them the same way I do at home and in ministry. I stopped straddling between two different worlds where I felt so conflicted inside. I now show up powerfully as who I am in every area of my life as God has led me. The journey to wholeness is an opportunity to manifest what is already within you.
The journey to wholeness encourages you to take a holistic view of oneself and where God has placed you currently and embrace your God given gifts and use them to your highest potential by showing up powerfully as your true-self. Grace allows you to feel the beauty of wholeness in your head, your heart, your mind, and your entire being.
Would you take a moment to think about your wholeness journey? Where might God asking you to align who God says you are and show up powerfully in every area your life authentically? Meditate on Ephesians 2:10 where God tells us that we are the work of His hands, a masterpiece made to bring glory to him.
I encourage you to embark on your journey to wholeness!
Kathy Kim is the mother of three school aged kids and married to Peter who is a current senior pastor at Trinity Covenant Church in Manchester, CT where she serves as a lay women’s ministry director following her passion to encourage and mentor women. She also works in the pharmaceutical industry conducting clinical research trials where she gets to coach and mentor others further self-development and strategic goals setting. She is a self-development enthusiast and driven to add values through leadership and service. She enjoys outdoor recreation, fitness, food and beaches.