God Speaks
1161 I love the Lord because he hears my voice
and my prayer for mercy.
2 Because he bends down to listen,
I will pray as long as I have breath!
3 Death wrapped its ropes around me;
the terrors of the grave overtook me.
I saw only trouble and sorrow.
4 Then I called on the name of the Lord:
“Please, Lord, save me!”
5 How kind the Lord is! How good he is!
So merciful, this God of ours!
6 The Lord protects those of childlike faith;
I was facing death, and he saved me.
7 Let my soul be at rest again,
for the Lord has been good to me.
8 He has saved me from death,
my eyes from tears,
my feet from stumbling.
9 And so I walk in the Lord’s presence
as I live here on earth!
10 I believed in you, so I said,
“I am deeply troubled, Lord.”
11 In my anxiety I cried out to you,
“These people are all liars!”
12 What can I offer the Lord
for all he has done for me?
13 I will lift up the cup of salvation
and praise the Lord’s name for saving me.
14 I will keep my promises to the Lord
in the presence of all his people.
15 The Lord cares deeply
when his loved ones die.
16 O Lord, I am your servant;
yes, I am your servant, born into your household;
you have freed me from my chains.
17 I will offer you a sacrifice of thanksgiving
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 house of the Lord
in the heart of Jerusalem.
Praise the Lord!
1171 Praise the Lord, all you nations.
Praise him, all you people of the earth.
2 For his unfailing love for us is powerful;
the Lord’s faithfulness endures forever.
Praise the Lord!
Source: New Living Translation: BibleGateway.com
We Respond
Reflection: Consider the following questions regarding each chapter of Psalms 116 and 117
1. What does this psalm tell me about God?
2. What does this psalm tell me about the human beings He created?
Here is one possible answer to each of these questions. Ask the Holy Spirit if there are any others for you personally to ponder.
Psalm 116
1. God hears the prayers of people when they cry out to Him for mercy.
2. People are trapped by sin, bound for death and destruction, and full of anxiety apart from God’s mercy and grace.
Psalm 117
1. The LORD God has great love for the people He created. His faithfulness endures forever.
2. People of all nations are called to praise Him.
Prayer:
3. How might I pray regarding Psalms 116 and 117?
Dear gracious Father in Heaven, I say along with the psalmist, “I love You, LORD.” You actually pay attention to my feeble attempts to communicate with You. Through Jesus the Christ You rescued me from eternal death, even when I was filled with terror and surrounded by trouble and sorrow. You so kindly and mercifully lifted me out of the pit of despair. You care for those of us who come to You in childlike faith and trust You completely. You give us rest for our souls. When we walk in Your presence, You keep us from stumbling, calm our fears, and dry our tears. How could I ever repay You, LORD, for all that You have done for me and those I love? Holy Spirit, please help me to keep the promises I make to You, other people, and myself. Help me to offer continually sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving here on earth now and for eternity in heaven. May other people see it and be drawn to You as well. May You, LORD, be praised and glorified forever. AMEN
Action: (Ask God, the Holy Spirit, if He wants you to work on one of the suggestions below or something else more personal that He points out.)
4. What action does the LORD want me to take in response to Psalms 116 and 117?
- I will use Psalm 116 as a model as I write out the story of why I love Jesus Christ, including how I have interacted with Him recently.
- I will share this with at least one other friend who is a believer
- I will engage with a stranger about what they think about God, and then tell them what I think about Him based on what the Bible says.
- I will take at least five minutes today to praise God for His unfailing love and His faithfulness.
Share: I plan to share what I’ve learned with __________.