Thursday, November 25, 2004

The Cup of Salvation—Jesus!

What shall I render to the LORD
  For all His benefits to me?
I will take up the cup of salvation,
  And call upon the name of the LORD.
I will pay my vows to the LORD
  Now in the presence of all His people.
(Psalm 116:12-14)
The psalm writer finds himself in this wonderful relationship with God. His opening words are “I love the LORD” (v. 1). After enumerating specific kindnesses of the Lord, he asks himself, What shall I render, or turn back to the LORD? How shall I show Him my thanks and praise?

His answer is elegant, “I will take up the cup of salvation.” God has given me this cup of salvation — I will receive it, welcome it, take it up and drink heartily from it.

The Hebrew word for “salvation” is yeshua, and means to save, heal, keep, set free, and cause to prosper. More than that, it is the salvation that comes from God. You see, it is made up of two words: Yahweh, the personal name of God (rendered as LORD, all caps, in our English versions) and yasha, which means to save. Yeshua is the shortened form of this combination. This salvation is all God’s doing.

How shall I give thanks to the Lord? I will drink deeply from the cup He has provided for me. I will drink of the salvation, the healing, the deliverance, the security, the prosperity He has for me. I will gladly receive it. I will not refuse it. I will not forget it. I will not say, “I’m not worthy,” because it is not about me, it is about Him. Therefore, I will set it on my lips and receive it into my life.

Now, there’s another thing I want you to know about the word yeshua — it is rendered in the New Testament as the name Jesus! You see, Jesus is the salvation of God. So it is very fitting that the psalm writer says, “I will take up the cup of salvation and call upon the name of the LORD,” because that name is Yahweh, and Yahweh saves (Yeshua, Jesus!)

“I will pay my vows to the LORD now in the presence of all His people.” I will commit myself to the Lord and take my place among His people. I will stand up in the midst and give Him all the praise and glory! I will open my mouth and declare the goodness of His salvation.

Don’t just sit there. Drink of that cup. Receive the salvation that comes from the Lord. Call on His name — Jesus! Do you need healing? Speak out healing in Jesus’ name. Do you need prosperity in some area of your life. Receive it from the Lord. Do you need to be set free from something? Call on the Lord and drink from His cup. Believe it all — it’s all for you in Jesus’ name. Then rise up in the midst of the people and declare the salvation of the LORD.

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