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Heavenly Devotion: Psalm 116 – The Lord Who Hears Our Prayers and Delivers Us

August 22, 2024 Elder Daniel Wong; Dr. Chow Li Sze; Heavenly Devotion Video 0

Psalm 116 – The Lord Who Hears Our Prayers and Delivers Us

(by Elder Daniel Wong)

This is an anonymous psalm written by a servant of the Lord, which closely mirrors the many psalms of David which reflects the thanksgiving of having been heard and rescued by God.

The psalm begins with a declaration of love for the Lord, for hearing his cry for mercy. God had listened to him when he was at the brink of death, demonstrating His amazing grace, righteousness and compassion. There were people around him who spoke disparagingly of God, questioning his concern for the psalmist at the lowest point of his life. Later, having personally experienced the salvation of the Lord, he calls out the lies of the faithless and turns in joyful praise and thanksgiving towards God as a testimony in a company of God’s people.

Verse 15 is a beautiful verse which is typically reflected on at the funeral of a believer. We know that there are times when God does not rescue his people from physical death, in spite of their ardent prayers. How good it is to know that God’s love and care for those who have placed their faith in Him does not end at the point of death.

This Psalm also points us beyond the psalmist’s story to the experience of the Lord Jesus Christ at His passion. In the midst of His afflictions, Jesus remained steadfast to the end, trusting in the gracious and powerful God to deliver Him. The faithful God did not abandon His Servant in death but raised Him to life. The God who rescued the psalmist is the same God who rescued our Lord Jesus Christ and the same God who will bring about ultimate salvation in Christ, for all who belong to Him. Let us call on the name of the Lord!

Let’s Read Psalm 116

1 I love the LORD, for he heard my voice;
he heard my cry for mercy.
2 Because he turned his ear to me,
I will call on him as long as I live.
3 The cords of death entangled me,
the anguish of the grave came over me;
I was overcome by distress and sorrow.
4 Then I called on the name of the LORD:
“LORD, save me!”
5 The LORD is gracious and righteous;
our God is full of compassion.
6 The LORD protects the unwary;
when I was brought low, he saved me.
7 Return to your rest, my soul,
for the LORD has been good to you.
8 For you, LORD, have delivered me from death,
my eyes from tears,
my feet from stumbling,
9 that I may walk before the LORD
in the land of the living.
10 I trusted in the LORD when I said,
“I am greatly afflicted”;
11 in my alarm I said,
“Everyone is a liar.”
12 What shall I return to the LORD
for all his goodness to me?
13 I will lift up the cup of salvation
and call on the name of the LORD.
14 I will fulfill my vows to the LORD
in the presence of all his people.
15 Precious in the sight of the LORD
is the death of his faithful servants.
16 Truly I am your servant, LORD;
I serve you just as my mother did;
you have freed me from my chains.
17 I will sacrifice a thank offering to you
and call on the name of the LORD.
18 I will fulfill my vows to the LORD
in the presence of all his people,
19 in the courts of the house of the LORD—
in your midst, Jerusalem.
Praise the LORD.

Let’s Pray

Gracious God, our Heavenly Father, we thank You so much that You are a loving and merciful God who hears us when we cry out to You in the moments of desperation and danger in our lives. We thank You for the many times when You have attended to us in our distress and sorrow. We praise You that in Christ, Your rescue and deliverance extends beyond our physical lives.

For we are filled with joy to know that those who trust in Christ have ultimate salvation because of the death and resurrection of our wonderful Saviour. We pray that You will fill us with a renewed sense of confidence, thanksgiving, and praise each day as we walk with You.We pray this in the name of our precious Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

This devotional was kindly contributed by Dr. Chow Li Sze and her channel Heavenly Devotion. You may find the channel at https://www.youtube.com/c/HeavenlyDevotion/videos

About the Heavenly Devotion channel

The Heavenly Devotion channel is dedicated to encouraging you to listen to Bible Scriptures and pray with the Scriptures. They are inspired by the call of service as expressed and exemplified by Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 9:12-15.

“For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Hebrew 4:12 NKJV)

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