stephen R Harrison

One of the reasons I love the Lord is that He always hears our prayers. Think about it: He’s always listening! He’s never distracted, distant, or disinterested. He loves to hear from His children! Once, I went to a trusted advisor for some counseling on a tough issue and he fell asleep when I was talking to him about it! This was life altering stuff he slept through! Another time I was doing pre-marriage counseling and the bride fell asleep while I was talking to her about the details of her wedding! I stopped the meeting and asked her fiancé to take her home because she obviously needed the rest. While people will not always listen about the most important issues of life, God always listens. In Psalm 116:1, the psalmist knew this and boldly said, “I love the Lord for He heard my voice and heard my cry for mercy.” God is the first one we should go to because He will turn His ear to us as long as we shall live (v. 2)! I don’t know about you, but that brings a huge boost to my prayer life knowing God is always listening. He cares about us. Our prayers do not fall on deaf ears. They fall on the best of ears!

WOthers may betray me, but God never will! This part of the Egyptian Hallel was sung after celebrating Passover. Evidently during this time in his life, the psalmist was being betrayed by a close friend. There’s nothing worse than being sold out by a friend. That is sometimes the deepest hurt! I think about how Judas betrayed Jesus and how His disciples abandoned Him at the crucifixion right after He washed their feet and took communion with them! Peter even denied three times he knew or was associated with Jesus. That had to hurt! Psalm 116 is a great song to use in worship because it reminds us that not only was Jesus betrayed by His disciples, we also betrayed Him in our sin. However, we praise the Lord because He forgave us and died for us while we were sinners (Romans 5:8). What love! What a reason to praise!

Psalm 116 reminds us God rescues us from death and the grave that separate. He also rescues us from distress and sorrow that sadden (vv. 3-4)! When someone dies, it can feel like even God has betrayed us! We must remember that for the believer, death is not the end! When Israel celebrated Passover, they were commemorating when the death angel would pass over those who applied the blood of the lamb to their doorposts (Exodus 12). Jesus is a better sacrifice (Hebrews 9-10) because He is the ultimate Passover Lamb that was slain and His blood was shed to take away the sins of man (Romans 3:23-26). When His blood is applied to our lives, we are saved from our sin. Praise the Lord!

God is so gracious, righteous, and full of compassion (Psalm 116:5). He saves us (v. 6)! Our soul, which is our thoughts, will, and emotions can be at rest because our Savior is so good to us (v. 7). His eternal salvation gives us an eternal mindset in this temporary life that reminds us that not even death has the final say nor is it the final separation (v. eight). We have been brought into a new life in Christ that is in the land of the living (v. 9)! How can we repay the Lord for His goodness (v. 12)? Although we cannot work for our salvation or ever repay God for His sacrifice, we should honor Him by living our lives fully devoted unto Him. Because He is a covenant keeping God, we worship Him with our very lives by serving Him unto death (vv. 13-14). Those who die in the Lord are precious in His sight (v. 15) because they are eternally His! We serve Him with thankful lives by calling on His name (v. 17) and fulfilling our vows to Him (v. 18). His great salvation brings us to praise! Praise the Lord!

Questions:

1. Does Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross cause you want to live a fully devoted life unto Him?
2. What part of your life is not fully devoted to Christ?
3. How do you know if your perspective about death needs recalibrating?

Prayer:
Lord, help me keep an eternal perspective about life and death. You defeated death and grant us eternal life for trusting in You as our Savior. Thank you for hearing my cry to be saved! Thank You for answering my prayers the way that best pleases You. Because You have never abandoned me, I will not abandon You. I will devote my life to you fully until my last dying breath. Your devotion to me causes me to be fully sold out to You! In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.