Psalm 116

Read Psalm 116

“I love the Lord, because He has heard my voice and my pleas for mercy.” The righteous worshiper of Israel's God called on the Name of the Lord because he had a solid expectation that God would listen to his voice. Even at the point of death, his prayer could still be heard. “O Lord, I pray, deliver my soul!”

The character of God was stable. “Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; our God is merciful.” This security concerning the Almighty gave the true worshiper confidence in his prayer. He also understood from his own life experience that the Lord heard the honest pleas of a “simple” man when he “was brought low.” The Lord had “saved” him in the past. God had “dealt bountifully” with him. Though he drew near to death, he was able to call out to his God with confidence: “I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living.” Even if his days under the sun had come to an end, he knew that there was a life beyond in the house of the Lord where he would dwell forever (Psalm 23:6).

The worshiper's confidence was not in men. “All mankind are liars.” His trust was in the God of truth. He believed the Word of the Lord.

What if God did give him more days under the sun? He promised to “pay my vows in the presence of all His people.” He would go to the place of holy assembly and “call on the Name of the Lord.” What more could he do than to surrender himself to God in sincere worship?

But what if his time on this earth was over? His confidence was this: “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.” Death would not be the end.

When the Passover Lamb walked to the cross for our sins, He went with the perfect confidence of faith expressed so well in Psalm 116. His unblemished faith and obedience won for us a very secure salvation. His work as the holy Servant of His Father has freed us from the bondage of death.

Death could not hold Jesus forever. “You have loosed my bonds.” His resurrection was for us just as surely as His cross was for us. When we call on the Name of the Lord we trust in the only reliable Savior for sinners. Even if we die, we shall live forever “in the courts of the house of the Lord.”

Prayer from A Book of Prayers

Merciful Lord, we love You. You have heard us when we cried out to You. We faced distressing thoughts and agonizing fears. You heard our cry, and have caused us to rest again in Jesus Christ. Your promises are very secure. We will not be moved. The age of resurrection is surely coming. We are the payment of Your Son’s holy vow. We will praise You in the land of the living. We long for the coming of the perfect Jerusalem. We are there even now in Christ.