Word for the day by Christian Education Forum
Remember the Little Ones
Psalm 116I love the LORD, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy
If I ever had the opportunity to look back at my life and sing a Psalm, it would be this one – Psalm 116. In the 19 verses of this Psalm, we see the basic blueprint for Christian living- trusting God in the gravest of situations and calling on Him in the day of trouble, resting in the shadow of His grace as He responds, resolutely holding the situation in prayer, responding in gratitude to His goodness as He deals with every situation and publicly declaring allegiance to Him for all that He has done. This Psalm captures the rhythm of a Christian life- a life that is never easy or smooth, but only strengthened through trials. Just as gold is refined in fire, a Christian is forged in the furnace of tribulation. The Psalmist conveys four truths about God, discovered through situations of deadly threats, involving human deceitfulness and personal lack of discernment.
God answers His children’s prayers- the writer was in a state of panic and fear; like a man drowning and believing that death is imminent and unavoidable. When we find ourselves in unforeseen situations of great calamity and distress, we can call on the Lord for His help. The name of the Lord represents all that God is and does, and to call on His name is to trust Him to work on our behalf and reveal His glory in our weakness. Only a God as great as Jehovah can hear the voices of millions of His children who are praying to Him at the same time and yet can answer each prayer in line with His plan and purpose.
God’s nature is to show mercy, grace, and compassion, while revealing his power - the Lord is gracious, righteous, compassionate, and powerful. Earnest and sincere believers can sometimes get overwhelmed in their distress and act fearful. We can say things we do not mean, even though in our hearts we know God; we know who He is and how powerful He is. And the Lord sees our hearts; He knows what we really believe- that our God is a God who keeps His word. In His great love for us, God overlooks our timidities and responds to restore our sense of trust.
In life and death, we are precious to the Lord– the Lord loves us so much that He gave Jesus Christ to die on the cross in our place (Rom. 5:8)- we are precious to Him. If our Father loves us that much, then He must be concerned not only with how we live but also how and when we die. Just as the blood of Christ is precious, so our blood is precious to God. Hence in every adversity we face that brings us to desperation, we must remember that for believers, death is not an accident but an appointment (Ps. 139:16; 39:4–6). This should give us the peace we need to move courageously forward rather than be consumed with fear.
God is faithful to us and honors His covenant with us- God always keeps His side of the bargain- the question is whether we do this? Believers today belong to God’s new covenant family in Christ, but this does not guarantee protection from pain and trials. However, it does mean that God is in control and will work all things for our good and His glory, even our deaths (Rom. 8:28; John 21:17–19; 2 Peter
1:12–15). Even our savior Jesus Christ lived on a divine timetable and could not be crucified until the chosen hour had come (John 2:4; 7:30; 8:20; 12:23; 13:1; 17:1). Therefore, we need to be prepared to be faithful to God and wait upon Him to fulfill His covenant promises to us. This includes submitting in obedience to His leadership, calling upon His name and holding steadfastly to His promises. And when we are delivered, we must remember to always testify to His goodness, lest we be counted among the nine lepers that did not return to praise Jesus (Luke 17:11-19). As we ponder on these verses within the framework of remembering the little ones, it does us well to ensure that we pass this blueprint on to our children or to other young people that we can influence, to instill in them a faith that is genuine and everlasting. Let us raise children to know God intimately and be fruitful for His kingdom’s sake. Let us not just leave this to Sunday School and youth groups. Let us create the heart knowledge in our children to truly trust and serve the Lord. Through family time of prayer, Bible study and conversations with our children about God and His goodness, let us actively strive to leave a spiritual legacy that is rich, priceless, and eternal.
God answers His children’s prayers- the writer was in a state of panic and fear; like a man drowning and believing that death is imminent and unavoidable. When we find ourselves in unforeseen situations of great calamity and distress, we can call on the Lord for His help. The name of the Lord represents all that God is and does, and to call on His name is to trust Him to work on our behalf and reveal His glory in our weakness. Only a God as great as Jehovah can hear the voices of millions of His children who are praying to Him at the same time and yet can answer each prayer in line with His plan and purpose.
God’s nature is to show mercy, grace, and compassion, while revealing his power - the Lord is gracious, righteous, compassionate, and powerful. Earnest and sincere believers can sometimes get overwhelmed in their distress and act fearful. We can say things we do not mean, even though in our hearts we know God; we know who He is and how powerful He is. And the Lord sees our hearts; He knows what we really believe- that our God is a God who keeps His word. In His great love for us, God overlooks our timidities and responds to restore our sense of trust.
In life and death, we are precious to the Lord– the Lord loves us so much that He gave Jesus Christ to die on the cross in our place (Rom. 5:8)- we are precious to Him. If our Father loves us that much, then He must be concerned not only with how we live but also how and when we die. Just as the blood of Christ is precious, so our blood is precious to God. Hence in every adversity we face that brings us to desperation, we must remember that for believers, death is not an accident but an appointment (Ps. 139:16; 39:4–6). This should give us the peace we need to move courageously forward rather than be consumed with fear.
God is faithful to us and honors His covenant with us- God always keeps His side of the bargain- the question is whether we do this? Believers today belong to God’s new covenant family in Christ, but this does not guarantee protection from pain and trials. However, it does mean that God is in control and will work all things for our good and His glory, even our deaths (Rom. 8:28; John 21:17–19; 2 Peter
1:12–15). Even our savior Jesus Christ lived on a divine timetable and could not be crucified until the chosen hour had come (John 2:4; 7:30; 8:20; 12:23; 13:1; 17:1). Therefore, we need to be prepared to be faithful to God and wait upon Him to fulfill His covenant promises to us. This includes submitting in obedience to His leadership, calling upon His name and holding steadfastly to His promises. And when we are delivered, we must remember to always testify to His goodness, lest we be counted among the nine lepers that did not return to praise Jesus (Luke 17:11-19). As we ponder on these verses within the framework of remembering the little ones, it does us well to ensure that we pass this blueprint on to our children or to other young people that we can influence, to instill in them a faith that is genuine and everlasting. Let us raise children to know God intimately and be fruitful for His kingdom’s sake. Let us not just leave this to Sunday School and youth groups. Let us create the heart knowledge in our children to truly trust and serve the Lord. Through family time of prayer, Bible study and conversations with our children about God and His goodness, let us actively strive to leave a spiritual legacy that is rich, priceless, and eternal.
Prayer
Heavenly Father help us to remember that all the battles we face are yours, for we are indeed your beloved children that you have rescued from captivity with the blood of your precious Son. Help us to be armed with your wisdom and clothed with your grace to face every battle in your strength. Amen!
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
We may be covered in darkness, yet faith in God enables us to focus on His goodness rather than our circumstances. It is not our own good fortune or the mercy of others that will change our circumstances- it is God. He rules supreme over everything. We must believe in the truth that He will never do anything bad- He is a God of goodness.
Bindhu George
Melbourne Mar Thoma Church, Australia