Today is January 16th… might I recommend you begin your day with a reading of Psalm 116.
Read it with this outline in mind: Psalm 116:1-4 (God hears), Psalm 116:5-11 (God helps), Psalm 116:12-19 (God is holy).
Psalm 116:1-4 (God hears)
I love the Lord, because He hears
My voice and my supplications.
Because He has inclined His ear to me,
Therefore I shall call upon Him as long as I live.
The cords of death encompassed me
And the terrors of Sheol came upon me;
I found distress and sorrow.
Then I called upon the name of the Lord:
“O Lord, I beseech You, save my life!”
Psalm 116:5-11 (God helps)
Gracious is the Lord, and righteous;
Yes, our God is compassionate.
The Lord preserves the simple;
I was brought low, and He saved me.
Return to your rest, O my soul,
For the Lord has dealt bountifully with you.
For You have rescued my soul from death,
My eyes from tears,
My feet from stumbling.
I shall walk before the Lord
In the land of the living.
I believed when I said,
“I am greatly afflicted.”
I said in my alarm,
“All men are liars.”
Psalm 116:12-19 (God is holy)
What shall I render to the Lord
For all His benefits toward me?
I shall lift up the cup of salvation
And call upon the name of the Lord.
I shall pay my vows to the Lord,
Oh may it be in the presence of all His people.
Precious in the sight of the Lord
Is the death of His godly ones.
O Lord, surely I am Your servant,
I am Your servant, the son of Your handmaid,
You have loosed my bonds.
To You I shall offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving,
And call upon the name of the Lord.
I shall pay my vows to the Lord,
Oh may it be in the presence of all His people,
In the courts of the Lord’s house,
In the midst of you, O Jerusalem.
Praise the Lord!
Now look back at Psalm 116 and notice that there is two verses/statements that are repeated:
1) “call upon the name of the LORD” (Psalm 116:4,13,17)
2) “I shall pay my vows to the Lord, Oh may it be in the presence of all His people.” (Psalm 116:14,18)
Now know that the word “pay” in Psalm 116:14,18 in the Hebrew is “shalam” and it means:
to be in a covenant of peace, be at peace
to be at peace peaceful one
one in covenant of peace
to make peace with to cause to be at peace
to live in peace
to be complete, be sound
to be complete, be finished, be ended
to be sound, be uninjured
to complete, finish to make safe
to make whole or good, restore, make compensation
to make good, pay, to requite, recompense, reward
to be performed, to be repaid, be requited
to complete, perform, to make an end of
Now precious one, let’s look at some cross-references:
Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you;
not as the world gives do I give to you.
Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful
John 14:27
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These things I have spoken to you,
so that in Me you may have peace.
In the world you have tribulation,
but take courage; I have overcome the world.”
John 16:33
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Therefore, having been justified by faith,
we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith
into this grace in which we stand;
and we exult in hope of the glory of God.
And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations,
knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance;
and perseverance, proven character;
and proven character, hope;
and hope does not disappoint,
because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts
through the Holy Spirit who was given to us
Romans 5:1-5
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But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off
have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
For He Himself is our peace,
who made both groups into one
and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall,
by abolishing in His flesh the enmity,
which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances,
so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man,
thus establishing peace,
and might reconcile them both in one body to God
through the cross,
by it having put to death the enmity.
And He came and preached peace to you who were far away,
and peace to those who were near;
for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father.
Ephesians 2:13-18
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and in Him you have been made complete…
Colossians 2:10
Finally my friend, notice that the psalmist wanted, desired, hoped to “pay” his vow to the LORD “in the presence of all His people“
Precious one, when we are at peace with God through Christ, when we have called on the name of the Lord, our Jesus, our Savior, and we enter into this covenant of peace we want nothing more than to be in the presence of His people.
Our peace with God is not a private matter… it’s something we should desire to share!
Today is January 16, 2013… 1/16/13… so might Psalm 116:13 be in your heart and on your mind today 🙂
I shall lift up the cup of salvation
And call upon the name of the Lord.