Introduction...
Day 23 Psalm 116:1-7, 17-18 Thanksgiving for Deliverance from Death
（Memorization Scripture: vv. 5-7）
1 I love the Lord, because He has heard
My voice and my supplications.
2 Because He has inclined His ear to me,
Therefore I will call upon Him as long as I live.
3 The pains of death surrounded me,
And the pangs of Sheol laid hold of me;
I found trouble and sorrow.
4 Then I called upon the name of the Lord:
“O Lord, I implore You, deliver my soul!”
5 Gracious is the Lord, and righteous;
Yes, our God is merciful.
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.
…
17 I will offer to You the sacrifice of thanksgiving,
And will call upon the name of the Lord.
18 I will pay my vows to the Lord
Now 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!
[Sharing] Have you ever gone through the situation that psalmist pictured - “The pains of death surrounded me, And the pangs of Sheol laid hold of me; I found trouble and sorrow”? (v3) If you have similar experiences, then pray diligently just as the psalmist who came to God with his prayer, “Then I called upon the name of the Lord:“O Lord, I implore You, deliver my soul!””(v4)
How often we forget we are still alive only because God listens to our prayer. Even though He does not always perform exactly all that we ask, He indeed listens to all our prayers. He is gracious and righteous and merciful, and also He is the one true God who people seek and find in the tribulation. It is His grace that helps people from difficulties to stay faithful and to wait for His salvation.
As the psalmist passed through the Valley of Baca, he who had already tasted the grace of God, said “Return to your rest, O my soul, For the Lord has dealt bountifully with you.” (v7). Also he went inside the temple of the Lord, offered to God the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and paid his vows to the Lord in the presence of all His people.
“I love the Lord, because He has heard
My voice and my supplications.
Because He has inclined His ear to me,
Therefore I will call upon Him as long as I live.” (vv.1-2) (NY)
【簡介】...
Day 23 詩篇 116:1-7, 17-18 經歷神的厚恩，在眾民面前還願
(背誦5-7節)
1 我愛耶和華，因為他聽了我的聲音和我的懇求。
2 他既向我側耳，我一生要求告他。
3 死亡的繩索纏繞我；
陰間的痛苦抓住我；
我遭遇患難愁苦。
4 那時，我便求告耶和華的名，說：
耶和華啊，求你救我的靈魂！
5 耶和華有恩惠，有公義；
我們的 神以憐憫為懷。
6 耶和華保護愚人；
我落到卑微的地步，他救了我。
7 我的心哪！你要仍歸安樂，
因為耶和華用厚恩待你。
…
17 我要以感謝為祭獻給你，又要求告耶和華的名。
18 我要在他眾民面前，在耶和華殿的院內，在耶路撒冷當中，
向耶和華還我的願。你們要讚美耶和華！
【心得分享】 你曾經有過如詩人形容的「死亡的繩索纏繞我；陰間的痛苦抓住我；我遭遇患難愁苦。」這樣的遭遇嗎？如果有，那你應該也有詩人「求告耶和華的名，說：耶和華啊，求你救我的靈魂！」這樣的迫切的禱告。 多少次我們忘了我們如今還存活，是 神聽了我們的禱告。即或祂沒有完全依照我們所求的成全我們，祂確實是聽了我們的禱告。這位有恩惠、有公義、以憐憫為懷的神，是在患難中求告耶和華的人所經歷的；也是從這位 神而來的恩典，支持了在患難中的人仍然走在信心的路上，等候祂的救恩。 出了流淚谷之後，這位親嚐主恩滋味的詩人，慨然說：「我的心哪！你要仍歸安樂， 因為耶和華用厚恩待你。」並且他來到耶和華的殿內，以感謝為祭獻給神，在神眾民面前還他當初求告耶和華時所立的約。 「我愛耶和華，因為他聽了我的聲音和我的懇求。 他既向我側耳，我一生要求告他。」 （NY）
