Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Adult Sunday School Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/bb/bb19980621.htm

PSALMS: DIARIES OF GODLY OLD TESTAMENT SAINTS
Psalm One Hundred And Sixteen - Coming To See The VALUE In Life's Deep Distresses
(Psalm 116:1-19)
  1. Introduction
    1. On the surface, we humans do not like trouble, especially the deep troubles of this life! Besides being painful, expensive and upsetting, they can drain our hope and vitality of spirit!
    2. However, for the believer, life's deep distresses are blessings in disguise, and Psalm 116 demonstrates this:
  2. Coming To See The VALUE In Life's Deep Distresses, Psalm 116:1-19.
    1. The psalmist expressed his love for Jahweh because the Lord had heard his prayer request, Ps. 116:1-2a.
    2. The request arose out of a distressful, life-threatening situation, and when the trial came about, the psalmist found God answering his prayer for relief from this suffering, Ps. 116:3-4.
    3. Of inestimable value to the psalmist were the things he learned in this trial as he named them as follows:
      1. Lesson One - The psalmist learned through his distress that God is righteous and compassionate, and that these two qualities of God work with unmerited favor to help the troubled in distress, Ps. 116:4-5.
      2. Lesson Two - The psalmist learned through his distress that God protects those who are naive, and get into trouble without which they cannot help themselves because of their na<\o>vet<\i>, Ps. 116:6.
      3. Lesson Three - The psalmist learned through his distress that God's deliverances are so great that those whom He delivers are actually able to rest following the trial, Ps. 116:7-8.
        1. Following God's great deliverance, the psalmist noted that he was so renewed by God's bounty that his emotions were buoyant to the point where his grief was totally absent, Ps. 116:7-8a.
        2. Following God's great deliverance, the psalmist noted that the physical affects of the distress were so countered by God's bounty that his feet did not stumble so that he could continue functioning in this life like those who had not h ad such distress, Ps. 116:7, 8b-9.
      4. Lesson Four - The psalmist learned through his distress that, in the final analysis he could not rely on people, but only on God, Ps. 116:10-11.
      5. Lesson Five - The psalmist learned through his distress that near-death distresses are of deep concern to God, for God does not take lightly the death of His godly ones, and will marvelously deliver them from death if it is not within His will that they die at that time, Ps. 116:15 with 116:3.
      6. Lesson Six - The psalmist learned through his distress that it was worthwhile calling unto the Lord for help for the rest of his life.
        1. Three times in the psalm, the psalmist claimed that he would "call on" the Lord, v. 2b, 13b, 17b.
        2. Thus, having been saved from a life-threatening distress, he learned the value of seeking God's help!
      7. Lesson Seven - The psalmist learned through his distress that he had motivation for all of future living actions in his deep indebtedness to God for his very existence.
        1. In verse 12, the psalmist asked himself what he could do to repay Jahweh for His bountiful dealings unto him. The words "bountiful dealings" are emphasized again in verse 7.
        2. Realizing that he could not really fulfill such a debt, the psalmist repeated twice his resolution to fulfill his vows in a public temple meeting praise offering to the Lord, Ps. 116:14, 18. The phrase, "I wi ll lift up the cup of salvation" (v. 13a) probably pictures a sacrificial drink offering in the temple that would be given for the psalmist's having been delivered, cf. Bib. Know. Com., O.T., p. 877.
Lesson: Though at the TIME the psalmist's great life-threatening distress was an UNHAPPY event, what it PRODUCED by way of invaluable LESSONS LEARNED made the distress very worthwhile!

Application: Experiencing deep trouble as a believer only to find God's help leads us to (a) see how truly upright, compassionate and gracious is our God, (b) to see how God covers for our being so vulnerable due to our na<\o>vet<\i>, (c) to app reciate God's RESTORATION as He pulls us out of deep emotional and physical pits, (d) to see that we must shift our dependence on people to a dependence on God, (e) to trust that we will not die unless it truly is God's timing, (f) to see the value of calli ng unto God for help THROUGHOUT life and (g) to live a life of praise for God's bounty unto us for the rest of our days! In other words, we can VALUE distresses for what they TEACH us!