Psalm 116: In view of your mercy I will...

By Sean Theunissen

Psalm 116 (NIV)

'What can I give back to God for the blessings he's poured out on me?

I'll lift high the cup of salvation - a toast to God!

I'll pray in the name of God; I'll complete what I promised God I'd do

and I'll do it together with his people' 

vs 12-14 (The Message)

How fitting for this psalm to come up ahead of our 3rd Citygate Worship Gathering this Sunday evening. 

The songwriter here tells of how God rescued him from impending death. A hands-on experience of what it is to know your life snatch from the grips of death. Yet we often forget that it is no different for us who were all doomed for an eternity outside of God's presence. Death being just a taste of the hell to follow.

'For you have delivered my soul from death,

my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling; 

I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living.' 

v 8-9

His mercy towards us is staggering. In view of it what can be done, what can I give back? I will join with his people and toast to this incredible salvation vs 13. I will choose to call on his name in good times and bad vs 13 and I will let my life be a living sacrifice of praise vs 14.

Ahead of this Sunday evening I want to urge you that we don't gather together for a sing along, we don't gather together because we enjoy music or because we know our friends will be there. We gather because we're thankful for being caught up on the side of the Almighty Creator and because of that we choose to align our lives with His cause and His will. 

God I pray that you'd smash to pieces our small minded ideas of what You are capable of doing as we gather to lift high the name of Jesus. Be our attention, our focus, our hunger, be honoured, be lifted high and move in power I pray.