“Our always faithful one”

By Rev. Michael Stonhosue

Meditation – Saturday, September 2, 2023

Psalm 116 (Forward, p. 35) CEV p. 627

It might well be said that death is the final frontier, for it is something that all of us must one day face, and face it, we must, without even the least idea or sense of what it will be like. Sure, we have those seemingly rare instances where someone has ‘died’—or so the narrative goes—and has returned again to life. But those instances are so rare, exceptional and against the normal ‘flow’ of things, that we cannot take them as normative.

But, what about the experience of facing death ‘in the face’ as it were, and surviving? There are certainly many people who thought that ‘this is it’, and ‘I am most certainly going to die’. It may have been from a car crash, an illness, an act of war, or some natural disaster such as a fire or flood or windstorm. So, for those who haven’t been through it, what is that like?

But, maybe more to the point, how do we handle it? Here our psalmist can be of great help. (He has indeed faced death: death is the constant theme—mentioned four times—of this psalm.) So, how has he handled it?

First off, he prayed, prayed to God for deliverance when he was

helpless and ‘stuck’;

And, when he was giving up on depending upon any human help

and unable to trust anyone, he still remained faithful to God, yes,

even when he was confused about everything else;

And now, in response, in gratitude, he plans to worship God and

offer Him sacrifices, pray to Him, keep the promises he has made to

God and walk continually walk with Him.

And well, he might do this, for as he sums it up: “You, Lord, have saved me from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling” (verse 8). Surely this is quite a testimony to God’s goodness and faithfulness—and a great reminder of why we too can always go to Him and trust in Him. He is our great and faithful God. Thanks be to God. Amen.

Forward notes: “Turn again to your rest, O my soul, for the Lord has treated you well” (verse 6).

“One night when I was feeding my newborn son, someone threw a brick through the sliding glass door of my apartment. When I heard the noise, I held the baby, crouched down behind the bed, and called 911. I kept praying my son would stay quiet and that whoever broke in would not come upstairs. Thankfully, the intruder fled without entering the room. A police officer arrived and let us know it was safe to come out of hiding. No one got hurt. My husband, baby, cat, and I were all okay. It took a while, though, for my fear to subside.

“The psalmist’s words in this verse can express joyful relief. But for me, they also give voice to the negotiating process my soul and body need so I can release fear and embrace rest.”

Moving Forward: “What helps you let go of fear and stress so you can embrace rest?”