Give Strength to Your Servant!
[Psalm 86]
The funeral services for Pastor Kim Chang-Hyuk, who was both our church’s visiting pastor and my uncle, have all been completed under God’s grace. Though Pastor Kim is no longer with us in this world, clothed in a physical body, the memories he left through his life continue to live in our hearts, cherished deeply. As we treasure these memories, we must thank God for the grace and love He bestowed upon each of us through the Pastor. We should also put into practice the lessons God gave us through His servant. I believe this is one of the aspects of the ministry of remembrance that Henry Nouwen spoke about.
I still remember, and even during our early morning prayer meeting today, I was led to reflect on God's word from Numbers 11:4: “The rabble among them began to crave other food, and again the Israelites started wailing and said, ‘If only we had meat to eat!’” This led me to recall the words of Brother Lee Hee-Dae, the head of oncology at Ewha Womans University Severance Hospital: “Cancer is greed.” The book that God allowed me to read because of Pastor’s illness had a phrase that said, “Cancer is greed,” which caused me to reflect deeply during this morning's prayer time.
Dr. Lee Hee-Dae said that every one of us has cancer cells inside us. However, because we have more healthy (good) cells than cancer cells, we are not suffering like cancer patients and are still alive. When thinking about this spiritually, I began to ponder: if cancer cells represent “greed,” then what would healthy (good) cells be? I concluded that they would be “contentment in Jesus” (self-sufficiency in Christ). In other words, our spiritual health is not about having greed like the unbelievers but being satisfied with Jesus alone, just as the Apostle Paul was. When we live like this, we can live spiritually healthy lives, strengthened by the power of Jesus.
I encourage you to spiritually diagnose yourselves today with the word of God, just as we receive an annual physical check-up at the hospital. Every day, moment by moment, we must examine our spiritual health. A spiritually healthy believer is one who is content with Jesus alone, moving forward boldly toward the high calling of God, despite their shortcomings, weaknesses, and limitations, strengthened by the power God gives.
In Psalm 86:16, the psalmist David prays to God: “Turn to me and have mercy on me; give your strength to your servant and save the son of your maidservant.” Based on this verse, I will reflect on three aspects of the strength that the Lord gives us, under the title "Give Strength to Your Servant!" I pray that the Lord will give strength to both you and me.
First, the strength that the Lord gives us is the strength of prayer.
Let us look at Psalm 86:1, 6, and 7: “O Lord, I am poor and needy; hear me, O Lord, and answer me” (v. 1), “Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer; listen to my plea for mercy” (v. 6), “In the day of my trouble I will call upon You, for You will answer me” (v. 7). David cried out to the Lord on the day of his distress. He cried out to God in his poverty and need. He describes his trouble in this way: “O God, the proud have risen against me, and a mob of violent men have sought my life, and have not set You before them” (v. 14). David's enemies were proud and did not fear God, so they sought to kill David, the righteous one. Why did they seek David's life? Because they hated him (v. 17). In this situation, David cried out to the Lord, trusting in God (v. 2). What did he ask God for? First, he asked for God's mercy (v. 3, 15). Seeking God's mercy, he cried out to the Lord all day long (v. 3). He also asked that the Lord preserve his soul: “Preserve my soul, for I am godly; You are my God, save Your servant who trusts in You” (v. 2). In short, David's prayer request was for God's salvation (v. 2). He asked God to deliver him from his enemies. And he had confidence in the answer to his prayer. David was assured that the God of salvation would deliver him from the hands of his enemies. How could he be so sure? Because the Lord's mercy toward him was great (v. 13).
Many people have prayed for the late Pastor Kim Chang-Hyuk, and I believe that God, in His mercy, has worked a work of salvation to preserve his soul forever. When we speak of “salvation,” of course, being healed from sickness can also be considered part of God's work of salvation. However, after my first child, Joo-Young, fell asleep, what God impressed upon my heart was the assurance that God had answered our prayers and had led Joo-Young to eternal heaven. This was the grace of salvation that God had granted. My prayer is that as we diligently commit ourselves to prayer, we may experience even more of God's work of salvation. Therefore, I desire that we gain strength through the God of salvation, who answers our prayers.
Secondly, the strength the Lord gives us is the strength of love.
Let us look at Psalm 86:5, 13, and 15: "For You, Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in love to all who call to You" (v. 5), "For great is Your love toward me; You have delivered me from the depths, from the realm of the dead" (v. 13), "But You, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness" (v. 15). When David longed for God’s salvation and cried out to Him, he had the certainty of prayer because he knew who God is. That is, David knew that his God is a God of mercy, one who desires to show grace. He believed that God is slow to anger, rich in love and faithfulness. Because he trusted in that God, David had the confidence that his prayer would be answered. He knew that God is good and merciful to those who call on Him (v. 5). Therefore, as he called on God, trusting in His abundant mercy, the certainty David had in his prayer’s answer was the assurance of forgiveness. David believed that God, being good, desired to forgive him.
We, too, are people who need the assurance that we have been forgiven. One of the reasons is that many of us carry feelings of guilt for having wronged our loved ones. Perhaps some of us feel even more guilty because of the death of a loved one. We also need the strength of love. With God’s love, we must learn to forgive each other. Just as God has forgiven us in Jesus Christ, we need to forgive ourselves. And we must forgive those who have sinned against us. We are the people of God, forgiven of all our sins. As those who have been forgiven, we live experiencing, even partially, how great God’s mercy is through His forgiveness. Therefore, we must show that love of God. In other words, we must live a life of forgiveness. This is the strength of love.
To experience this strength of love, we must obey God’s word. Those who love God obey His commandments. That is why David prayed: "Teach me Your way, Lord, that I may rely on Your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear Your name" (v. 11). We must strive to obey the Lord’s word with all our heart. One of the Lord’s commandments is precisely the word, "forgive." Therefore, as those who have been forgiven by God, we must live forgiving one another. And through this, we must find strength in the God of love.
Thirdly, the strength the Lord gives us is the strength of praise.
Let us look at Psalm 86:9 and 12: “All the nations you have made will come and worship before you, Lord; they will bring glory to your name” (v. 9), “I will praise you, Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever” (v. 12). David, relying on God’s abundant love, cried out to God with confidence in the answer to his prayers. Because of this, he not only praised the Lord with all his heart, but he also made a resolution to glorify the Lord forever (v. 12). Furthermore, David encourages all the nations to come and worship the Lord (v. 9). He speaks of the necessity for all nations to give glory to the Lord (v. 9). So, what kind of God was the one David praised with all his heart?
(1) The God whom David praised with all his heart is the great God, the mighty God.
Let us look at Psalm 89:10: “You are great and do marvelous deeds; you alone are God.” The great God performed mighty works of salvation in David's life, and because of the grace and love of this great God, David could not help but praise Him with all his heart.
(2) The God whom David praised with all his heart is the only God.
Let us look at Psalm 89:8: “Who is like you, Lord God Almighty? You, Lord, are mighty, and your faithfulness surrounds you.” There is no god who performs salvation like our God does.
(3) The God whom David praised with all his heart is the God who helps and comforts us.
Let us look at Psalm 89:17: “For you are their glory and strength, and by your favor you exalt our horn.”
As we remember the late Pastor Kim Chang-hyeok during today’s funeral service and burial, we are comforted by the thought that he praised the Lord’s greatness and majesty during his lifetime. Like him, we too should praise God until our last breath. As those who have received God’s great love, we must praise Him.
Our Lord is the God who gives us strength. He is the God who answers our prayers, the God who gives us His great and abundant love, and the only God who is great and helps and comforts us. The strength He gives us is the strength of prayer, the strength of love, and the strength of praise. How can we receive this strength that God gives us? Let us look at Psalm 86:4: “Bring joy to your servant, Lord, for I put my trust in you.” We must look up to the Lord. When we do so, our Lord will give us strength, and our souls will be filled with joy.
After praising “The Lord, my Strength”,
Pastor James Kim
(Thanking God, the God who gives us the strength of prayer, love, and praise)