How Can We Repay The Lord?

How Can We Repay The Lord?

Good Morning Friends,

Since we have already touched this week on the lectionary readings from Acts, Luke and 1 Peter, I am instead going to focus on today’s selections from Psalm 116. And it relates well to the actions of the disciples in the following of the great commission as a demonstration of a partial answer to today’s question: How Can We Repay The Lord?

Scripture: 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!” 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!

Psalm 116:1-4, 12-19 (NRSV)

Message: The basic theme of today’s devotional is about thanksgiving for having been healed. It is a song of praise. And it offers a rededication of the psalmist to the work of God. It references an order of actions to acknowledge the gift of healing and I read it as a gift of healing of a broken heart but it is not specifically mentioned so we might own it for our individual situations. You see every generation has its afflictions to bear and sickness to overcome and so maybe it is best we do not know the sickness of the psalmist. Maybe it is really to symbolize any sickness that might bring us to our knees in prayer for a heavenly intervention. Sure, there is a different mindset regarding medicine between modern times and the ancient history when today’s scripture was written. Today we have a lot of scientists, doctors, nutritionists, exercise coaches and pharmacologists to address our physical illnesses. But we also have new diseases. In the psalmist’s day, I imagine there were a lot of superstitions that created unnecessary suffering. Interestingly, once healed the psalmist, appears at the court of the Temple to offer a sacrifice including a cup of salvation which of course carries greater meaning for us today in the Eucharist. But the thing is that somehow the healing worked and is attributed to God as we should do for good nurses and doctors and scientists that create new medications and interventions for our health. Interestingly, like the early Christians who were martyred even in his suffering and distress and anguish the psalmist exhibits a voice of praise. So, garner this insight, sometimes suffering comes before growth. And in that suffering, we will risk a lot of consequences to end the pain…even giving up our pride to ask God for help.

Pray we realize that God appreciates us praying for others but understands that it is always appropriate to ask God to save our very lives too. Pray we realize that God does not consider death a casual event but may not answer in the affirmative our plea to have that painful cup taken from us. Pray we realize that we can never repay God for saving us but that we can praise God through our devotion when we are saved. Pray we love the Lord with such devotion that we become determined to persevere with a desire to praise God through our dilemmas. Pray we praise God through our troubles and sorrows. Pray we acknowledge our dependence on the Lord of all creation for deliverance from our problems. Pray that when God answers in the affirmative such a serious prayer for our very life that it be a testimony to others. Pray we realize that God can and will work through the hands and minds of others. Pray our response is not a ritual act but is warm and spontaneous and personal…worthy of relationship that lasts a lifetime.

Blessings,

John Lawson