LifeWay Explore the Bible Series for November 22: Give thanks

LifeWay Explore the Bible Series for November 22: Give thanks focuses on Psalm 116.

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The expression of gratitude that frequently occurs throughout the book of Psalms and Psalm 116 is a fine example. The word “thank” appears in verse 17, yet the psalm is saturated with a spirit of gratitude. The cause of that gratitude is the Lord’s intervention in a life-threatening situation in the author’s life. The author had called upon the Lord, received deliverance and proceeded to fulfill the vows he made while in his dire straits. Telling the whole story, and extending the praises accompanying his sacrifices, is Psalm 116.

For many in America, Thanksgiving has become the kickoff for an extended holiday season. Depending on the observer, thanksgiving may or may not be a part of the holiday observance. Psalm 116 is a part of the Bible’s extensive testimony that thanksgiving and gratitude should saturate the lives of believers on a daily basis. God’s provisions for life include eternal salvation, full forgiveness and abundant provisions for living.

Praying to God (Psalm 116:1-4)

Psalm 116 opens with the author’s account of his prayer to the Lord. Verse 1 introduces this prayer with the grand announcement that the author has given his heart to his Lord. He loves his Lord for the way he handled his prayer. Curiously, the author had asked for mercy, generally a request from one who does not deserve leniency, though in this case the author also may have not deserved his maltreatment. So from the life of one whose call for mercy was answered so marvelously has come a declaration of the love of the Lord. Jesus said the greatest commandment is to love the Lord (Matthew 22:37). Thus the Lord has caused his greatest commandment to be fulfilled through his answer to a cry for mercy.

Verse 2 references an important concept in the Bible’s method of salvation. Though the bar for living in the kingdom of God is set high (see, for example, the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5-7), the entry requirement is set low. Merely calling upon the name of the Lord for salvation is sufficient to be counted as faith by the Lord. God desires to save and works with all who make the merest first move in his direction.

Joel 2:32 provides the clearest and most memorable statement of this truth: “And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Joel is quoted twice in the New Testament in vital passages teaching about salvation (Acts 2:21 and Romans 10:13). The point about calling upon the Lord is echoed again in verses 4, 13 and 17, almost becoming a refrain within the psalm.

Verse 3 describes the author’s plight in poetic terms. Death and the grave (Sheol) had grasped the author. Here death and the grave are aggressive, grasping at the living to drag them into oblivion or to crush the living with depression and despondency. Thus life itself is invaded by strong and destructive assailants. Jonah 2 expresses the similar situation of the prophet who equates his quarters in the belly of the great fish to the depths of the grave.

At last verse 4 records the words of the author’s prayer: “O Lord, save me!” The simplest of human prayers, in the direst of emergencies, and perhaps the most moving words to the Lord. These are the words of calling upon the Lord for salvation. Nothing more sophisticated is necessary to stir the Lord to action. Thus is set in motion the divine acts the psalm celebrates.

The Bible has a holiday that is closely connected with Thanksgiving: Tabernacles, or Succoth, or Ingathering. As with the American holiday, Tabernacles is associated with harvest. Unlike the American holiday, Tabernacles associates salvation with the concept of salvation. Our greatest gratitude at Thanksgiving should likewise be for God’s marvelous salvation which provides the purpose for all his other activity in our lives.

Resting in God (Psalm 116:5-8)


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Verse 7 provides the self-command, “be at rest,” that governs this section of the psalm. Brainstorming various aspects of rest can help one appreciate the impact of the Lord’s tremendous act on the part of the author. Among the aspects of rest are contentment, calmness, satisfaction and the lack of anxiety. Furthermore, the command is from the self speaking to one’s own soul that the Lord’s saving answer to its call for mercy is abundantly sufficient.

Verse 7 also states the Lord has been good in his satisfactory answer to the author. Verse 5 provides characteristics of the Lord that generate this goodness: graciousness, righteousness and compassion. Verse 6 characterizes salvation as protection: God preserves the lives of his followers, the simplehearted whose only focus for living is upon the Lord himself. Verse 8 then describes the triply effective answer of the Lord: delivery from death, tears and stumbling—a brief description of an abundant salvation. Thus rest can be experienced in many concurrent ways in the life of the believer.

Walking with God (Psalm 116:9-11)

This section of the psalm contains some distinctive phrasing. Often in the Bible, as here, walking is a metaphor for living. Thus verse 9 expresses the purpose of the Lord’s salvation: that the saved live their lives before the Lord—or walk in his presence. God’s presence is found in the land of the living or, in simple terms, God’s presence gives life to the believer. God’s salvation brings life, thus every cure and mercy it provides results in less than life.

The phrasing of verse 10 often is difficult. A more helpful reading is: “I believed, even when I said, “I am severely afflicted.”  The point is that the author affirmed his trust in the Lord, even in the midst of withering affliction. His life was declining, but his faith in the Lord was not. Verse 11 then states the opposite of verse 10. All men are liars in the sense that only God can be trusted to provide for life. Thus only God is worthy of faith. Humans can mislead, but only God can provide rescue and rest.

Worshipping God (Psalm 116:12-19)

The question of verse 12, “How can I repay God?”, is answered by four “I wills” in the next several verses. Though the wording seems to suggest repayment or purchase of salvation, the answers to the controlling question show that it is not a purchase of salvation that is necessary, but the proper acknowledgement.

Lifting the cup of salvation in verse 13 signifies partaking God’s salvation. Once again reference is made to call upon the Lord for salvation. Calling upon the Lord is an act as simple as raising a cup to drink. Receiving God’s salvation is as easy as drinking from a cup. There are no further requirements because God looks for a heart that calls upon Him.

Emphasis on fulfilling vows is repeated in verses 14 and 18. The occasion of fulfilling vows called for a sacrifice to be accompanied by further calling upon the Lord. Thus salvation is firmly connected to the sacrifice in the mind of the author.

Verse 15 states the grand discovery of the psalm, the significance of the death of the saints in God’s sight. The word “precious” is familiar, yet the word “costly” provides a clearer meaning for the underlying Hebrew word. The verse then states the costliness of the death or the saints in God’s sight. This costliness is the motivating factor for God’s intervening activity in the author’s life. The great pledge of the psalm comes in verse 16: the author now promises his service to his Lord. The Lord has saved him; now his life belongs to the Lord for any use.

From a plea for clemency to a declaration of personal service, the author has told the full story of his deliverance and the reason for his ecstatic worship of gratitude. All God’s people should carefully find similar reasons to praise the Lord from their own lives, for the Lord’s goodness in their lives is great.


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