Psalm 116

  1   I love the Lord, because He hears my voice and my supplications.

 2   Because He has inclined His ear to me, I shall call upon Him as long as I live.

 3   The cords of death encompassed me and the terrors of Sheol came upon me—

      I found there distress and sorrow. 

 4   Then I called upon the name of the Lord: 
      “O Lord, I beseech You, save my life!” 

 

 5   Gracious is the Lord, and righteous,  yes, our God is compassionate.

 6   The Lord preserves the simple, I was brought low, and He saved me.

 7    Return to your rest, O my soul, for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you.

 8   For You have rescued my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling. 

 

  9   I shall walk before the Lord in the land of the living.

10   I believed when I said, “I am greatly afflicted.”

11   I said in my alarm, “All men are liars.”

12   What shall I render to the Lord for all His benefits toward me?  

13   I shall lift up the cup of salvation and call upon the name of the Lord.

14   I shall pay my vows to the Lord, Oh may it be in the presence of all His people.

15   Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His godly ones.

16   O Lord, surely I am Your servant, I am Your servant, the son of Your handmaid,

You have loosed my bonds.  

17   To You I shall offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and call upon the name of the Lord.

18   I shall pay my vows to the Lord, Oh may it be in the presence of all His people,

19   In the courts of the Lord’s house, in the midst of you, O Jerusalem.

      Praise the Lord! 

Jehovah God, the God of Israel, and the God of our Holy Bible, is in the business of bringing back those who are spiritually dead and giver of new life.  The lost do not know they are lost--sinners headed for destruction.  God seeks the lost that we may become aware of our condition, helping  unbelievers to become aware they are lost and helpless.  Jesus said plainly that no one can come to Himself unless the Father first draws him (John 6:44, 65).  The Apostle Paul also reminds us that “the god [small g] of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:4). 

 

If salvation had been left up to us, we would still be in our sins. But, thank God, He lovingly takes the initiative.  He sent Christ to die for our sins, and even now is still seeking the lost while many are wandering further away Him.   
 

We are extremely vulnerable at this point…

There is only one true God who can offer salvation.  It is so important to acknowledge the Holy Spirit who offers this new life in Christ, and not fall prey to false teachers and false
religions. The enemy of our souls knows very well our state and will do everything to trick us back into listening to a false god.    
 

God Has Given Us New Life Through Christ
Ephesians 2:1-10
2   You were living in your sins and lawless ways. But in fact you were dead. You used to live as sinners when you followed the ways of this world. You served the one who rules over the spiritual forces of evil. He is the spirit who is now at work in those who don’t obey God.

3    At one time we all lived among them. We tried to satisfy what our sinful nature wanted to do. We followed its longings and thoughts. God was unhappy with us… because of the kind of people we were.

4   But God loves us deeply and is full of mercy.

5    So he gave us new life because of what Christ has done. He gave us life even when we were dead in sin. God’s grace has saved you.

6   God raised us up with Christ. He has seated us with him in his heavenly kingdom because we belong to Christ Jesus. 

7    He has done it to show the riches of his grace for all time to come. His grace can’t be compared  with anything else. He has shown it by being kind to us because of what Christ Jesus has done.

 

8   God’s grace has saved you because of your faith in Christ. Your salvation doesn’t come from anything you do. It is God’s gift.

9   It is not based on anything you have done.  No one can brag about earning it.

 

10  God made us.  He created us to belong to Christ Jesus.  Now we can do the good  that long ago God prepared for us to do.