“Oh grant Your strength to Your servant”
[Psalms 86]
All of the funeral services of Pastor Andrew Kim, who was the visitation pastor of our church and who is also my uncle, ended in the grace of God. Now, he is no longer in the world with us in a physical body, but our hearts cherish his memories that God left in our lives. While cherishing those memories, we will have to put into practice the lessons God has given us through the servant of the Lord, giving thanks for the grace and love God has given to each one of us through Pastor Andrw Kim. I think this is one of Henry Nowen’s remembrance ministry. What I thought about at this morning prayer meeting was that ‘Cancer is greed’ as brother in Christ Lee Hee-dae, director of Youngdong Severance Hospital Cancer Center said in connection with Numbers 11:4, “The rabble who were among them had greedy desires; and also the sons of Israel wept again and said, "Who will give us meat to eat?” God caused me to read Dr. Lee Hee-dae’s book titled “Hee’dae’s Hope’ because of Pastor Andrew’s cancer and challenged me to think about his word ‘Cancer is greed’ during this morning prayer meeting. According to Dr. Lee Hee-dae, we have all cancer cells in us. But the reason we aren’t suffering like cancer patients is because there are many healthy cells in us than cancer cells. What I came to think of here is that if we call cancer cells "greedy" spiritually, then what is a good (healthy) cell? I think the good (healthy) cell is to be satisfied with Jesus alone (being content with Him). In other words, our spiritual health is not to have greed like unbelievers, but to live with satisfaction with only Jesus like the apostle Paul. In that case, we can live spiritually healthy through the strength that Jesus gives us. I hope you diagnose yourself spiritually with the word of God. As if we go to a hospital once a year for comprehensive health check up, we must have a spiritual health checkup every day and every moment. Spiritually healthy believers are satisfied with Jesus alone. And despite their shortcomings, inadequacies, and weaknesses, they boldly move toward heaven through the power of God.
In Psalms 86:16, the psalmist David is praying to God: “Turn to me, and be gracious to me; Oh grant Your strength to Your servant, And save the son of Your handmaid.” I hope and pray that the Lord to give us strength while thinking of three things about what kind of strength the Lord gives us under the heading “Oh grant Your strength to Your servant” based on Psalms 86.
First, the strength that the Lord gives us is the power of prayer.
Look at Psalms 86:1, 6, 7 – “Incline Your ear, O LORD, and answer me; For I am afflicted and needy. … Give ear, O LORD, to my prayer; And give heed to the voice of my supplications! In the day of my trouble I shall call upon You, For You will answer me.” David cried out to the Lord in the day of trouble. He cried out to God in distress and need. David describes the trouble he faced as follow: “O God, arrogant men have risen up against me, And a band of violent men have sought my life, And they have not set You before them” (v. 14). David's enemies were proud and didn’t fear God. So they tried to kill the righteous man David. Why did they aim for David's life? The reason was because they hated David (v. 17). In this situation, David trusted in God (v. 2) and cried out to Him. What did he cry out to God for? He first asked for God's grace (vv. 3, 15). He cried out to the Lord all day long for His grace (v. 3). He also asked for the Lord to preserve his soul: “Preserve my soul, for I am a godly man; O You my God, save Your servant who trusts in You” (v. 2). In short, David's prayer topic was God's salvation (v. 2). He asked God to deliver him from his enemies. And he was sure that God would answer his prayer. David was convinced that the God of salvation would deliver him from the hand of his enemies. How could he be so sure? The reason was because the Lord's lovingkindness toward David was great (v. 13).
Because many people pray for Pastor Andrew Kim, I believe that God has compassion for Pastor and has accomplished the work of salvation to preserve his soul forever. When I say "salvation", of course, receiving healing from sickness is the work of God's salvation. But I was convinced that God’s salvation is leading us to eternal heaven through my first baby Charis’ death. I hope and pray that we will be able to experience the work of God's salvation more and more as we devote ourselves to prayer. As a result, I hope and pray that we may be strengthened by the God of salvation who answers our prayers.
Second, the strength that the Lord gives us is the power of love.
Look at Psalms 86:5, 13, 15 – “For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, And abundant in lovingkindness to all who call upon You. … For Your lovingkindness toward me is great, And You have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol. … But You, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, Slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness and truth.” When David cried out to God, longing for God's salvation, he had the assurance of answered prayer because he knew who God was. In other words, he knew that the God of David is a God of mercy and a God who wants to show us grace. He believed that God was slow to anger, and abundant in lovingkindness and truth (v. 15). David had assurance of God answering his prayers because he cried out as he trusted in God. He knew that God was good to those who call upon Him and that He is good and abundant in lovingkindness (v. 5). Therefore, the answer to the prayer that he was convinced that God would answer, since he trusted in God's generous mercy, was the assurance of forgiveness of sin. David believed that God was good and wanted to forgive him.
We are those who need the assurance that we have been forgiven. One of the reasons is because many of us live with the guilt of making mistakes in our relationships with the loved ones. Maybe some of us are living with more guilt over the death of a loved one. We are also people who need the power of love. We must become people who know how to forgive each other with the love of God. We also need to forgive ourselves just as God forgave us in Jesus Christ. And we must forgive those who sin against us. We are God's people whose sins are forgiven. We are people who, in part, experience God’s great lovingkindness through His forgiveness. Therefore, we must show this love of God to others. In other words, we must live a life of forgiveness. This is the power of love. To experience this power of love, we must obey God's Word. Those who love God obey His commandments. That was why David cried out to God like this: “Teach me Your way, O LORD; I will walk in Your truth; Unite my heart to fear Your name” (v. 11). We must strive to obey the word of the Lord with one heart. One of the Lord’s commandments is ‘Forgive.’ Therefore, as those who have been forgiven by God, we must live by forgiving each other. As a result, we must be strengthened by the God of love.
Third and last, the strength that the Lord gives us is the power of praise.
Look at Psalms 86:9, 12 – “All nations whom You have made shall come and worship before You, O Lord, And they shall glorify Your name. … I will give thanks to You, O Lord my God, with all my heart, And will glorify Your name forever.” David was confident of answering his prayers as he cried out to God, relying on the abundant lovingkindness of God (v. 5). That was why he not only praised the Lord with all his heart, but also determined to glorify the Lord forever (v. 12). Furthermore, David urges all nations to come and worship before the Lord (v. 9). He said that all the nations should also glorify His name (v. 9). Then what kind of God is the God that David praised with all his heart?
(1) The God whom David praised with all his heart is great God who does wondrous deeds.
Look at Psalms 86:10 – “For You are great and do wondrous deeds; You alone are God.” Because the great God gave a great work of salvation in David's life, David was compelled to praise Him with all his heart because of the great grace and love of God.
(2) The God whom David praised with all his heart is the only God.
Look at Psalms 86:8 – “There is no one like You among the gods, O Lord, Nor are there any works like Yours.” There is no God in this world who does like God in saving His people.
(3) The God whom David praised with all his heart is the God who helps and comforts us.
Look at Psalms 86:17 – “Show me a sign for good, That those who hate me may see it and be ashamed, Because You, O LORD, have helped me and comforted me.” As we held the Pastor Andrew Kim's funeral service today, we received God's help and comfort when we thought about how the deceased Kim praised the greatness of the Lord in our lifetime. Like the deceased Kim, we must praise God whenever possible until we die. 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, who shows us His great and abundant love, and is the only God of salvation who is great and helps and comforts us. The power He gives us is the power of prayer, the power of love, and the power of praise. How can we receive this strength that God gives? Look at Psalms 86:4 – “Make glad the soul of Your servant, For to You, O Lord, I lift up my soul.” We must look up to the Lord. Then our Lord will give us strength and will fill our souls with joy.
After I praised “O Lord my strength”,
James Kim
(Thanking God for the power of prayer, the power of love, and the power of praise)