He Hears Us!

Psalm 116:1-2 (NIV)

I love the Lord, for He heard my voice; He heard my cry for mercy. Because He turned His ear to me, I will call on Him as long as I live.

Have you ever wondered if God is listening when you pray? Well, our Verse of the Day reminds us that He does hear us.  I have reprinted Psalm 116 (NLT) for our encouragement:

¹ 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!

The prose in this Psalm is so uplifting! It leads us to feel deep confidence in the Lord and His care for us. The inspired writer was in great distress and sorrow as he faced the thought and reality of death. Whether it was physical or spiritual, I think there is something here for us to ponder as we consider our own mortality and the challenge of the days ahead of us. When we feel overwhelmed, fearful, and anxious … when we come into circumstances and situations where we might despair of life … this Psalm reminds us that the Lord hears our cries for help and mercy. The Psalmist affirms The Lord is gracious and righteous and full of compassion. The Lord protects us even from the unknown. We can rest completely in Him! He delivers us from the fears of death … from the sorrows of life … from the paths of sin. So, yes, call upon the Lord. Seek Him while He is near.  Cry for the mercy and the grace you need for each day.  And return to Him the sacrifices of thanksgiving and praise … a song of gratitude for all His lovingkindness.

Heavenly Father, we thank you that you hear our voices … that you hear our cries for help when we become overwhelmed in our thoughts, anxieties, and the troubles of life. We love you because you listen and move to quiet our souls and to give us assurance that you are ever present in times of trouble. So, we call upon you for deliverance and strength when we become weary. We thank you because you are gracious, righteous, and full of love and compassion for us. You are our song! You are our praise! And we will call upon your name all the days of our lives! We will serve you with all of our hearts! And we will listen and hear YOUR voice as you speak to us … to live according to your Word. These are the desires of our hearts this morning. In the name of our Savior Christ Jesus, we pray. Amen.

So Now You Know…

Have a Blessed Day!

I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of Him. ~ 1 John 5:13-15