"HE HELPED ME"

Psa. 116:3-9

Morning Meditations

"The sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of hell gat hold upon me: I found trouble and sorrow. Then called I upon the name of the LORD; O LORD, I beseech thee, deliver my soul. Gracious is the LORD, and righteous; yea, our God is merciful. The LORD preserveth the simple: I was brought low, and he helped me. Return unto thy rest, O my soul; for the LORD hath dealt bountifully with thee. For thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling. I will walk before the LORD in the land of the living."

John Phillips says of this psalm, "It is a very personal psalm; the writer refers to himself 37times in 16 verses. Indeed, only three verses have no direct personal preference. Yet it is not a sinful preoccupation with self; he mentions the Lord (Jehovah) 15 times. As we look at this psalm, let's look first at:

THE PSALMIST CONDITION

He says, "The sorrows of death ... the pains of hell... I found trouble." have you ever felt like that? The only way the psalmist could convey his depressed condition was to use the "sorrows of death" as a way to understand what he was saying. I know all of us have at one time or another been compassed about (Completely surrounded) by such sorrow as when one is mourning over the loss of a loved one. Then he takes it a step beyond the sorrow of death and says, "the pains of hell gat hold of me."

He here represents himself as being so close to hell as to have the tongues of fire licking out at him There could not have been a more graphic description of his pain and depression that is revealed here. Again, have you been there? Hell is ever hungry to gobble up one of God's creation. While this is not possible, it certainly can enter the mind of the depressed one so that the thought of it squeezes out a cry and a dreadful horror that one might go there. Then finally in this verse the psalmist says, "I found trouble." John Gill says, "I found trouble and sorrow; without seeking for them; they seized and took hold of him, on David, and his antitype, when in the above circumstances; and often do the saints find trouble and afflictive providences. Aben Ezra refers the one to the body, the other to the soul. “Next let's look at:

THE PSALMIST'S CONFESSION

The psalmist said, "I was brought low." When we speak to others we must warn them that the path of the Christian sometimes leads through the low lands of sorrow and woe. Many a person has trusted Christ thinking that everything will go well now. Jesus never taught this and never  once intimated that the way would be easy. Salvation is by grace plus nothing and minus nothing. But the journey of the saved after salvation goes through enemy territory and Satan sets all kinds of traps for us. The psalmist gives testimony to his condition. He says, "I was brought low." Next let's look at:

THE PSALMIST PETITION

He says, "I called upon the name of the Lord." He knew God was merciful and could be approached for help. So he called on His name. No one ever goes wrong when in this condition he calls on the Lord. Someone might say, "I can't pray very well." It is not how well you pray, it is that you pray. God is there as close to you as your breath. There is nothing that He does not have an answer for. And His Throne is a throne of Grace. He invites us to come to Him in time of trouble.  Next let's look at:

THE PSALMIST ANSWER

He says, "He helped me ... He delivered my soul, . . . mine eyes . . . and my feet." Vss 6-8. He was ready to give God the glory for the answer. It is our testimony of God's work in our lives that He uses to bring lost souls to Christ. I am afraid that there are a lot of blessings received with little or no credit given to the Lord. The attitude of ingratitude is not right. Next let's look

at:

THE PSALMIST RESOLUTION

He says, "I will walk before the Lord." This is a commitment. It is a decision of the will. He says, "I will." Many times it takes crises experiences to clarify our vision and get us on the right path of service. We are going to live a few years here on earth. And when you get old and look back it is just a few years. We need to number our days and seek the Lord and encourage His people while we yet have the physical ability to do it.

May the Lord strengthen our resolution to serve Him faithfully and fruitfully until we take that journey through the skies.

May the Lord bless these words to out heats.

In Christ

Bro.  White