Gems from the Psalms (3)

Take Heart

Neville Turley

Be confident, my heart, because the Lord has been good to me.  The Lord saved me from death; he stopped my tears and kept me from defeat.  And so I walk in the presence of the Lord in the world of the living.  Psalm 116:7-9 (GNB)

Our verse for the day is part of a prayer of gratitude to God for allowing the psalmist to survive a traumatic near death experience. Psalms 113-118 is known as the Egyptian Hallel because they commemorate Israel's exodus from Egypt. Ins Psalm 114:1 we read, "When the people of Israel left Egypt, ...

These Psalms were sung as two hymns of praise during the great annual festivals.  At Passover, Psalms 113-114 were sung before the meal and Psalms 115-118 were sung after the meal.

Our Lord and his disciples most probably sang this hymn at the Passover meal, which we commemorate as the Last Supper. He then went to face the ordeal of his passion and death. “Then they sung a hymn and went out to the Mount of Olives” Mark 14:26.

Unlike the psalmist, Our Lord did not ask to escape the horrors of death. Instead he gladly sacrificed his own live out of love for you and me.

It is said that we are all one heartbeat away from death.  It is the price we pay for being alive.  In our life’s walk we will at one stage or another come close to death –a life threatening illness, major surgery, malicious assault or a serious accident. None of us are exempt from life’s dangers. But like the psalmist we do have a Lord to whom we can appeal to with confidence.

He loves us and he has put us on this earth for a purpose.  And until he is ready to call us home he will protect us from death.  He will keep us secure and enable us to serve him in accordance with his will and for his glory.  Because of him, we can face this world with confidence.

Prayer: Oh Lord, give us confidence to put our faith and trust in you. Enable us to accept without doubt that you are our protection and that you are with us at all times.  This we ask in the precious name of Jesus. Amen