“The LORD preserves the simple; when I was brought low, He saved me. Return, O my soul, to your rest; for the LORD has dealt bountifully with you. For You have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling; I will walk before the LORD in the land of the living. I believed, even when I spoke: ‘I am greatly afflicted’; I said in my alarm, ‘All mankind are liars.’” Psalm 116:6-11
Devotional Thought For The Day
We are again blessed to enter into the musings and prayer of a dear child of God as he reminisces about his problems and God’s gracious and loving providence. It is helpful for us to realize that even the authors of Holy Scripture suffered great affliction. At times we are fearful that our afflictions indicate that God has forsaken us. Although this conclusion is a sore and dire temptation of our sinful flesh, the truth is that God is especially close and near to us in our afflictions. The psalmist makes this clear.
The psalmist assures those who are “simple” that God preserves them and saves them. The “simple” are not necessarily those without education, sophistication, or power, but rather those who live in integrity and truth as opposed to “liars” and devious manipulators. The psalmist’s pronouncement about “mankind” is sobering. It is truly a tragedy of great proportion that God’s beautiful gift of language is so sorely abused by lying and deceit. Even when we try our hardest to be honest and truthful, we may err in facts or logic – we are fallen and fallible. However, it is utterly sinful to intentionally lie and deceive to avoid negative consequences or to manipulate favors for ourselves or to destroy others. Given the lack of clear critical thinking and the commitment to “political correctness” that pervades our culture, it is more important than ever to have a deep devotion to speaking the truth and a willingness to suffer for it. When considering issues it is also important to remember that while “all mankind are liars,” God’s Word is truth and that God does not lie. [John 17:17; Num. 23:19] Every Word of Holy Scripture, the Bible, is His Word and is sure and certain truth, a light to our path and a lamp for our feet. [2 Tim. 3:16; Ps. 119:105]
In view of God’s great salvation in Christ Jesus – which has delivered our souls from eternal death, and in view of the comfort He provides for us in all our sorrows, and in view of the wisdom and light that He provides for us in His Word to keep us from stumbling, we too should come to a commitment to walking “before the LORD in the land of the living,” that is, to live each day remembering that we are in His presence and with eager desire to conform our lives to His Word. This will greatly diminish our afflictions and sorrows, and keep the persecutions that we suffer manageable. It is also a great privilege to thus honor the LORD and communicate our gratefulness to Him. It is also becoming more and more important to display our loyalty and faithfulness to God – in repentance, in faith, and in lifestyle.
We still live in a dangerous world, filled with sin and sinful human beings. We will have times of great affliction and suffering. We may be brought very low – all mankind are liars, and far too many are deficient in critical thinking and eager to accept and embrace lies and to use lies violently against others. In spite of the dangers, we have assurance that the LORD will preserve us as we walk before Him with integrity, honesty, repentance, and simplicity. So we also believe even in affliction, and continue to place our faith and confidence in God. We pray that God will strengthen our faith in Him and enable us to return our souls to rest and repose in His love. He has dealt bountifully with us, and has promised to do so forever – in the land of the living and in His eternal heavenly kingdom! So we also bless the Lord at all times!
Prayer For The Day
Dear Lord Jesus, we still walk upon this earth, Your creation, in faith and hope in You, knowing Your love, Your power, Your grace and mercy. Keep us strong when we are brought low or suffer affliction, certain that You are with us to defend and preserve us. Remind us to remain simple in faithfulness to Your Word. When threatened with death keep us mindful that we have eternal life, through faith in You, and that You have prepared a glorious place for us in Your kingdom. Amen.