Psalm 116:8-9

Psalm 116:8-9

That I may walk before the Lord in the land of the living

Any traumatic health scare is dealt with today by the professionals; we summon the paramedics, get rushed off to hospital or to the GP and expect to receive the treatment to which we are entitled. Health care, in the time this Psalm was written, was much more primitive and there were few treatments and even less in the way of after-care. These things that we take for granted were not available to our victim and he can only therefore, think of one source of his healing and restoration, the Lord God Himself! Perhaps we should remember that the drugs we are given, the healing processes that we are offered, the knowledge and skills that are used in the modern Health Service are not all down to the genius of man. The drugs and medicines were provided when the earth was created and the ability and knowledge to repair the human body were also God-given. There is not man or woman alive who can actually heal us, the final breakthrough to restoration and good health is granted by the Lord alone and the ancient words of the psalm-writer are just as relevant today as they were thousands of years ago. 

The Lord is also the author of mental health and well-being. The sorrow, anguish and emotional suffering that accompanies ill health are healed when God delivers and restores us. And this is not just for the victim but for friends and families too. “Stumbling feet” speak of uncertainty, weakness and vulnerability, calamitous ill health produces all of these and thus, once restored, we thank the Lord for all that He has done. If we have experienced any of this, and we are now renewed and back to full health, there is no greater expression of gratitude than to seek to “walk before the Lord in the land of the living!” Let Him take all the glory and gratitude for the great things that He has done. Hallelujah!

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Psalm 106:13

Psalm 106:13 Do not forget We need to remember that Israel’s relationship with the Lord God was based on His laws and their obedience. It was possible for them to live lives that were highly blessed, that incorporated the provision of God in every tiny detail of their national and individual existence. God was prepared to give them everything they needed, He would provide food and water for them and their flocks. He would guide them on their journey. He would protect them from their enemies. He would inspire and direct their leaders. He would keep them from the heat of the sun and the terrors of the desert night. He would take them to the land that He had promised, in double quick time. There was no reason why they could not be in situ in just a few months. Everything they could possibly need was His to provide and He was willing to sacrifice anything to see them gratefully settled in Canaan.  There was just one snag, it all depended upon their obedience and faithfulness. God insis...
Read more

Psalm 51:4

Psalm 51:4 Deliberate sin In Genesis 20 we read the story of Abimelek and Abraham. The latter had passed off his wife Sarah as his sister and Abimelek had taken her with a view to her becoming his wife. The relationship was not consummated, and the Lord used a dream to reveal to Abimelek just what was going on. The insulted king pleaded innocence,  “I have done this with a clear conscience and clean hands ” he said, to the Lord. And God agreed,  “Yes, I know you did this with a clear conscience, and so I have kept you from sinning against me.”  This is a big subject but there is clearly a difference between sinful intentions and deeds where the participant knows that he/she is doing wrong, and those occasions where an action is carried out in innocence.  David knew all along that every detail of his relationship with Bathsheba was sinful, as were his actions in the cover-up. Therefore, he sinned against the Lord God and broke the commandments which said that  “Y...
Read more

Psalm 84:3

Psalm 84:3 All about sparrows Any visitor to Jerusalem will know that the city is a haven for sparrows. Houses and other buildings in Middle Eastern cities are not built to keep out the cold with double-glazing and UPVC everywhere. There are literally millions of little holes and crevasses and places where birds can hide and build their nests. As a result, the air is filled with the sound of the sparrows at all times, and in the summer months, swallows, swifts and martins swoop across the rooftops. (Along with many other birds that I would love to mention but that would be totally irrelevant). Evidently nothing has changed for centuries, because these sights and sounds greeted visitors to the Temple back in the day when Psalm 84 was composed. And the author is envious. These winged avian residents and visitors can enter where he cannot! They nest and congregate around the Temple Courts, high up and out of the reach of man’s interference and so they occupy a place closer to God than any...
Read more