Encouragements for our troubled times No. 64
COVID-19 Series | Date: 10 June 2021
The Elders and Deacons want to encourage the members and those who regularly meet with us through this weekly letter. If you have news which you would be happy to share with the fellowship or request for prayer, then please let us know.
A message from our Pastor
Psalm 63:3-5
“Because Your Lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise You. Thus, I will bless You while I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name. My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness, and my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips.”
This last weekend was also our thanksgiving Sunday when we were able to reflect on what we have to give thanks to God for and make a thank offering to His work. On Sunday we focused on thanking God for His word and for the shed blood of our Saviour that was paid for our sins. There are countless reasons and things we have to thank our God for, and here David gives thanks for His lovingkindness.
“Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise You.” David composed this psalm when he was in the wilderness of Judah fleeing from Saul and his men. But rather than pour out his woes and needs before his God he begins by giving thanks to God for His lovingkindness. He praises God vocally, before his companions, for all of the love that He had shown him, and all of His kindnesses toward him. They were, to David, better than anything else that he could have or want in life, and satisfied him in his present dilemma. Sometimes we can become so wrapped up in our needs and so distracted by our woes that we forget that rich blessing that we enjoy in our relationship with our God. We always know His love and His kindness toward us; keeping us, caring for us, watching over us, leading and guiding us, comforting us, and in many other ways proving how much He loves us. We too then can give daily praise to Him for His lovingkindness to us.
“Thus, I will bless You while I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name.” David knows that this is not something that he will only sometimes have cause to give thanks for; on the contrary, he knows that for as long as he lives, he will always have cause to praise God for His lovingkindness toward him. As long as he lives, he will bless, glorify, and exalt God’s name for His lovingkindness. And remember that David can say this while he is fleeing for fear of his life from King Saul. There are never any circumstances that we do not have cause to thank, bless, glorify and exalt our God for His lovingkindness towards us especially as we are so unworthy of any of His love or goodness towards us. Therefore, as long as we shall live let us make this one of our daily subjects of praise to our God.
“My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness, and my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips.” Note that David does not say that he will be satisfied with marrow and fatness, but he will be satisfied as with marrow and fatness. As his body is satisfied with the abundance of food so his soul is satisfied with the abundance of God’s lovingkindness. This strengthens him and upholds him in these difficult times and fills him with joy so that he wants to sing God’s praises. Are we satisfied with His lovingkindness? Don’t we want to sing His praises? We should, shouldn’t we, for His lovingkindness is better than life.