Reflections
Psalm 116: 10, 15, 16-17, 18-19 (Read)
“ I believed, even when I said, I am greatly afflicted.”
This Sunday's Psalm recalls words Abraham might have
prayed when he was called on to sacrifice his son Isaac.
“I will offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving; I will pay my vows to
the Lord.” Who else could have kept the faith at a time like that?
Yet Abraham’s devotion to the Lord did not waver. (Genesis 22:10-12)
We may not be called upon to offer up so heavy a sacrifice,
but we are commanded to listen to our God and pay our vows.
Abraham may have used words like those of our psalmist,
“I believed even when I said, ‘I am greatly afflicted.'”
God relented and provided a substitute for Isaac,
“Too costly in the eyes of the Lord is the death of the faithful.”
But God did not spare His own son, as St Paul reminds us in
Sunday's 2nd reading. (Romans 8:32)
And for whom did God sacrifice His son Jesus? It was for us
that God handed over His beloved Son. Jesus’ death on the
cross has given us life. As people of faith we are chosen by God
for life. We pray that we are not put to the test as Abraham was,
but we might at least, as the Psalm says, “Pay our vows to the
Lord in the presence of all His people.”
The psalmist says, “O Lord, I am your servant; you have loosed
my bonds.” We too are made free by becoming the Lord's servant.
That is how it is when we follow His commandments and do His will.
It is not something that binds us. Rather, it is something that sets us free.
We take delight in serving the Lord.
Amen
Discussion Questions for Reflection
1. Our psalmist speaks of the power of his faith, even in the darkest of times,
"I believed, even when I said, 'I am greatly afflicted.'" Give an example of
how your faith has strengthened you in difficult times.
2. The Psalm says, 'O Lord, I am your servant; you have loosed my bonds.'
Explain how it is that, having been freed from your chains, you wish to serve
the Lord and become yoked to Him.
ReplyDeletePsalm 116 is a wonderful testimony of praise, giving glory to God for all the things He did to undertake for the psalmist. The Lord delivered him from grievous trouble, and he is not at all ambiguous about the fact that God is the one who did it.
For us Christians who read Psalm 116 the psalm’s celebration of deliverance from death takes on a unique character. It is not read as testimony to what God has done in the past so much as it gives hope for deliverance in the future. The psalm’s images of death now apply to the coming suffering of Jesus. The celebration after deliverance draws us into the suffering of Jesus as his offering to God and to us. Jesus himself has become a sacrifice and we now benefit from his faithfulness to God.
I know the Lord has strengthened me in difficult times and yet, when asked this question, I struggle to remember specific answers. I am living proof that the Lord is good; I have not been crushed by the enemy's attacks against my health -- physical, mental, or spiritual.
ReplyDeleteHaving said that, two very trying seasons of affliction do come to mind -- and looking back, I am so grateful that my faith carried me through.
One period involved about three years of repetitive injuries my son endured, while playing basketball at the high school and college levels. As soon as one leg injury seemed to heal, he would hurt himself again. He underwent at least three ankle surgeries during this time, and survived a rare bone infection, endless meds and sessions of PT. During a low point, my husband, a physician, lost weight and fell into depression. I depended on the vibrant faith of other sisters in Christ to remind me that Jesus did not forget about my family. Each day, I awoke with a pit in my stomach -- but still, a song in my heart that healing would come.
Another difficult season involved the health of my father -- within a 6 month span, he survived COVID, a couple of trips to the ER, and an eventual hospital stay due to a spine fracture. All this and other health conditions catalyzed a family decision to move my parents into a senior living community. I remember feeling completely helpless and anxious. I was at the mercy of the Lord for my father's healing and next steps as a family, regarding future care.
Now, I can look back and recognize the blessings in disguise. I survived the valley, wading through what seemed like incessant darkness. The best way to the other side of a difficult time is to walk through it. Although not related exactly to this week's Psalm, if we look ahead to Psalm 118:24, we can know: "This is the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it."
No matter how difficult a time I think I am having, I am reminded that God has already planned each day with meticulous love. Every day is His way -- I don't need to worry. Nothing that happens is outside of God's power or plan for my life.