Praying the Psalms: Psalm 116

Ten days ago I was in a bus on the way from Kuşadası, a port city on the east coast of Turkey, to Ephesus – about 8km inland.

Our tour guide Melina, told us that we’d return to Kuşadası later where we’d look at the art and craftsmanship of Turkish rug making (of which they are justifiably, and protectively, proud – I now know things about the ‘double-knot method’ that I never knew before!).

Melina told us that we’d be offered a drink by the owner of the store we’d be going to, and that it was a sign of respect to accept the offer – it regarded and confirmed the offer of relationship that the business-owner was extending to us.

She also told us that once we’d all received our drinks – mine was a muddy Turkish coffee – we’d share a toast. The word we’d use was şerefe (loosely pronounced, in a breathy kind of way, “sherrif-eh”). While our equivalent, “cheers”, probably loosely means ‘to your health’, şerefe holds a little more weight. It means ‘in hour honour’ or ‘by your honour’. Great respect and acceptance is implied with the utterance and the toast.

I remember thinking about communion as we were told of its significance in the Turkish culture. When we hold the cup, we ‘proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes’, Paul tells us. There’s regarrd and acceptance and, further, great expectation – He’s coming again!

As I read Psalm 116 this morning with the blokes at our Coffee Table, I was reminded once more: the toast is all about response. It’s always about response. God is sovereign, he extends the invitation. He reaches down to lift us up and does the saving, the calling and the heavy lifting. So when David says, “what can I give back to God for the blessings he’s pured out on me?” and answers his own question with “I’ll lift high the cup of salvation, it is a toast to God”, I hear the language of response. More, I hear something far weightier than ‘cheers’, I hear ‘şerefe’: a cup raised in His honour, among his people and for his glory.

David’s obedience, vow-keeping, sacrifice of thanksgiving…all are rooted in the language and posture of response.

Lift high the cup of salvation – which He has graciously, lavishly put in your hand – it is a toast to God!

– Simon Elliott