The Lord Cares Deeply

The Lord cares deeply when his loved ones die.  O Lord, I am your servant;  yes, I am your servant, born into your household;   you have freed me from my chains.  I will offer you a sacrifice of thanksgiving   and call on the name of the Lord.  I will fulfill my vows to the Lord  in the presence of all his people— in the house of the Lord  in the heart of Jerusalem. Praise the Lord! Psalm 116: 15-19  NLT

The Lord cares deeply when his loved ones die.

Yet, how often we have told a bereaved friend that it was just their time to go or that God wanted another angel in heaven? How often to we explain inexplicable deaths by somehow pointing a finger at God? You and I have both been guilty of saying things we don’t really mean because we are unsure of what to day. 

The psalmist is clear that God does not want us to die. God cares when we do die. We know this because God frees us from our chains and has done great things for us, even though we are no more than servants in God’s household. 

What greater reason do we have than to praise God? And let others know that God cares deeply that their loved one died. 

God, you have freed me from my chains. Although I am your servant, born in your household, you give me freedom and mercy. I will call on your name and give you a sacrifice of thanksgiving in the presence of your congregation. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Copyright Amelia G. Sims 2012

I believed in you

I believed in you, so I said,  "I am deeply troubled, Lord." In my anxiety I cried out to you,  "These people are all liars!" What can I offer the Lord for all he has done for me? I will lift up the cup of salvation  and praise the Lord's name for saving me. I will keep my promises to the Lord  in the presence of all his people. Psalm 116:10-14 NLT 

On the one hand, there is nothing you can offer to God for all God has done for you. God doesn’t want your payment or work. 

On the other hand, there are some things that God does want. 

God wants your heart. God wants you to praise God. God wants you to keep your promises that you make to God in front of witnesses. These things are not in payment for what God does for you. These are in response for all God has done for you. God hears you when you are deeply troubled and surrounded by liars. God wants you to praise him despite your anxiety and those who are around you. 

God, I will praise your holy name for saving me. I will keep my promises to you in the presence of your people. I love you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Copyright Amelia G. Sims 2012

How Kind the Lord is!

How kind the Lord is! How good he is!  So merciful, this God of ours! The Lord protects those of childlike faith;  I was facing death, and he saved me. Let my soul be at rest again,  for the Lord has been good to me. He has saved me from death,  my eyes from tears,  my feet from stumbling. And so I walk in the Lord's presence  as I live here on earth! Psalm 116: 5-9 NLT 

What good is God, anyway?

God is kind. 

God is merciful.

God protects those with childlike faith. 

God saves us.

God is good to us. 

God saves us from death.

God removes our tears.

God keeps us from stumbling. 

Will you walk in the Lord’s presence as long as you live here on earth? 

God you are good, kind, merciful, and loving. You have offered us salvation through Jesus Christ. You keep us from stumbling and from sadness. We love you. In Jesus’ Holy name. Amen.

Copyright Amelia G. Sims 2012

Lord, please save me!

Death wrapped its ropes around me;  the terrors of the grave overtook me.  I saw only trouble and sorrow. Then I called on the name of the Lord:  "Please, Lord, save me!" Psalm 116: 3-4 NLT

This sounds like a visit to a haunted house: death wrapping its ropes around you, the terrors of the grave overtaking you. However, the image is probably meant to be more serious than a Halloween prank. The fear of death is very real to the psalmist. 

I was trying to think when I have felt afraid of death. A couple of times I have been afraid of being hurt. Perhaps there was a fear of death. Certainly, traveling on an airplane makes me afraid of dying but it probably has more to do with the knowledge that it is beyond my control (and at least in a vehicle you have a better chance of walking away). 

But others have probably been closer to that fear than I have. I think about those people who have been diagnosed with cancer or a life-threatening illness. I think about those with whom I have visited and prayed as they lay on their deathbed. Even the calmest of believers can be scared of death. 

Yet, the psalmist has one last ace in his hand: asking God for help. “Lord, please save me!” The plea is earnest, heartfelt and heard. I know of those who have defied the medical statistics or truly walked away from a horrible accident. Do they feel more faithful than those who did not survive? Were their prayers answered and others were not? I don’t have an answer. All I know is to pray  to God regardless of the outcome. 

Lord, please save me! In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Copyright Amelia G. Sims 2012

I will pray as long as I have breath!

I apologize for the lack of devotionals these past two weeks. Hopefully, there will be something in today’s devotional that will speak to your heart. Amelia

I love the Lord because he hears my voice and my prayer for mercy. Because he bends down to listen,  I will pray as long as I have breath! Psalm 116: 1-2 NLT

Why do you pray to God?

The psalmist prays to God because God listens. God hears the psalmist’s voice. The psalmist knows this because when the psalmist ask for mercy, God grants him mercy. God bends down to listen to the psalmist. This image reminds me of an adult bending down to hear what a small child might say. The child’s voice is small and quiet but the adult values what the child has to say. For the psalmist, God is like that. So, the psalmist is not going to stop praying as long as he is alive.

Have you ever had a time in your life when you simply could not pray? Perhaps you were feeling distant from or angry at God. Maybe your words seemed meaningless, as though they were simply spoken to empty air. Or you requested something from God and God did not answer in the way you wanted God to answer. After that you may have felt like you didn’t want to pray at all. 

This is the psalm to meditate on when you feel like you cannot pray! God hears our pleas for forgiveness and mercy. God does listen to our prayers. Like any adult, God may not have the answer that we want. But God always listens. 

God, hear my voice and my pray for mercy. I will pray to you as long as I have breath! In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Copyright Amelia G. Sims 2012