How bad does it have to get before you cry out to God? Psalm 116 is a cry for “help for the helpless,” and God hears and answers that cry. Do you need help today? Are you crying out to God today in your helpless (and hopeless) situation? God cares for you.
The author of Psalm 116 was in a hard place. He writes, “The snares of death encompassed me; the pangs of the grave laid hold on me; I suffered distress and anguish.” Maybe it was enemies after him, or maybe personal illness. Maybe a relationship blew up and blew out. He was close to death and the grave. He was weighed down with burdens, distress, and anguish. It was, “a dark night of the soul.” Have you had those moments? Are you there today? Have you cried out to God?
Does God hear your cries? Does He respond? See the good news! In the midst of the turmoil and pain, the author says, “I love the Lord, because He has heard my voice and my pleas for mercy. He inclined his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live. I called on the name of the Lord, and He heard my cries. He delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, and my feet from stumbling.” The Lord is gracious, righteous, and merciful. He preserves us and saves us when we are low. Do you know this God today?
Have you experienced any of the grace and compassion of God? If you are a Christian, of course you have. Do you ever reflect on that and praise Him for His work? Do you tell others? That’s what the author does: he will give a sacrifice and continue to rely on the Lord and walk in His ways. He will pay his vows and serve the Lord. He will gather with the people of God to worship and tell others of His marvelous deeds. Being a Christian is both personal and public; we join together with other Christians to praise and give glory to God for what He has done.
Psalm 116 is part of the “Egyptian Hallel”, Psalms 113-118. It is those Psalms we believe the Israelites sang after God saved them from slavery in Egypt. We believe it is also a Psalm that Jesus and His disciples sang after they celebrated Passover and the last supper (Mark 14:26). Jesus is our cup of salvation the Psalmist writes about (Psalm 116:13). Christ knew what it was to cry out to God for deliverance and salvation. Jesus is our God who saves and delivers us when we are helpless and hopeless. Cry out to Him today, in your anguish and despair, and He will hear and save you.