Psalm 116 verses 1-9…

  “I love the Lord because he hears my voice
    and my prayer for mercy.
 Because he bends down to listen,
    I will pray as long as I have breath!
 Death wrapped its ropes around me;
    the terrors of the grave^[a] overtook me.
    I saw only trouble and sorrow.
Then I called on the name of the Lord:
    “Please, Lord, save me!”
How kind the Lord is! How good he is!
    So merciful, this God of ours!
The Lord protects those of childlike faith;
    I was facing death, and he saved me.
Let my soul be at rest again,
    for the Lord has been good to me.
He has saved me from death,
    my eyes from tears,
    my feet from stumbling.
And so I walk in the Lord’s presence
    as I live here on earth!”

I love the Psalms! No matter whether they were written by King David, or an anonymous writer, the Psalms give us such comfort in times of struggle. They remind us of so many attributes of God and they also remind us of our dependence on Him. Psalm 116 is one of worship and praise in the midst of facing death.

This past Sunday I had the privilege of praying over a man at church. This man had just learned that the one kidney he has left is riddled with cancer. I asked him how he was doing and with a tear in his eye, he told me of his upcoming surgery and the prognosis the doctor’s gave him. “It’s not looking good.” he said. I asked if I could pray for him and of course he said yes.

Right there in the middle of the sanctuary, as people were hurrying to leave church or getting to the vestibule to grab some pie for the Pie Sunday Social, we prayed and God was there in our midst. Amidst the noise and chaos, he was present in my heart and the man’s as I spoke God’s Word of encouragement and comfort. The man was grateful and thanked me for my prayers.

It was a reminder to me that no matter what is going on in our lives, to always be aware of the opportunity to bless others. I call these God’s divine appointments. In Psalm 116 verse 2, He reminds us that He is always with us in this life…” Because he bends down and listens, I will pray as long as I have breath!”

Listen for God’s leading in your own heart and look for opportunities for God’s divine appointments in your life. I promise you will be blessed in the process!

God loves you & so do I,

Leslie