Affection For The Lord

INTRO

Today, we are going to dive into Psalm 116. Before we get started, just a couple of tidbits about the other two psalms. Psalm 117 is only two verses and is the shortest chapter of the Bible. Psalm 118 comes right after the shortest psalm and just before the longest, Psalm 119. Something unique about Psalm 116 is the affection for the Lord that comes out of it. Sometimes we encounter people who have a love for the Lord that goes beyond just knowledge. They really have a heart connection with God.

TEACHING

Psalm 116:1-2: The psalmist said he loved the Lord because the Lord heard his pleas for mercy (v. 1). This is a covenantal love. We like it when people of influence want to hear what we have to say—just as the psalmist described here. Amazing! The Creator of the universe hears our voice every time we call out to Him. God inclines His ear to us—He wants to hear from us and enjoys listening to us.

In John 10:27, Jesus said, “My sheep hear My voice and follow Me.” But don’t forget, in this verse, Jesus also said, “I know them.” Think about how well God knows your voice—He knows exactly what you sound like. Because He knows the sound of our voice, He has an affection for us. In 1 John 5:14, the apostle John assured us, “Whenever we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.” In Psalm 116:1–2, we see the concept that praise is rooted in love.

Psalm 116:3–11: We see we are delivered from death. Could there be a connection between how much some people deeply love God and what they have been delivered from? In verse 3, the snare is something used to trap an animal, something that entangles you. The psalmist said death encompassed him or wrapped around him. “The pangs” describe the sudden or sharp emotional pain the psalmist felt when “Sheol” or death “laid hold” on him (v. 3). In the midst of this suffering, the psalmist called on the Lord (v. 4).

The psalmist described God’s graciousness and mercy (v. 5), because He meets us where we are in our suffering. God does not discriminate or look to see how much work you’ve done—He simply meets you in your need. He hears your distress and He will respond (v. 6). The psalmist praised God’s generosity (v. 7) in delivering him from death (v. 8), so he could walk with God in the land of the living (v. 9). Remember in the earlier verses, the psalmist was so close to death the snares of death encompassed him. But God pulled him from death into the land of the living. We get to walk with Jesus in the land of the living. We will get to walk with Him in heaven. This brings to mind the words of Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Not only have we been rescued from death, but we will walk with God and Jesus in heaven. Thinking about living in heaven with God changes our response toward God.

When we have an intimate relationship with God, He hears our distress and delivers us from what afflicts us (v. 10). He hears everything we have to say to Him, and He hears it with an inclined ear. Because of His affection for us, He wants to do for us what we ask of Him.

Psalm 116:12–19: As a result of all this, we are dedicated to praise. The psalmist wondered what He could “render” to the Lord “for all his benefits” (v. 12). What are our benefits? He has taken away our sins and lifted us from the pit. We get to live with God in heaven when we leave this earth. But we also get to walk with a resurrection power—the presence of the Holy Spirit inside us. This allows us to strengthen our walk and minister to other people. We get to talk with God anytime we want because He knows our voice and inclines His ear toward us. The psalmist then said he would “pay his vows to the LORD in the presence of His people” (v. 14). We can share with others what God has done in our lives in hopes they will also experience His love for themselves.

Why would God consider the death of His saints as precious (v. 15)? The New King James Bible study notes say, “Those in service to the Lord who are threatened with death are precious to God and are thus saved. Though they may not escape physical death, they will experience eternal life.” Once we are saved, we are doing the work of God— whether we are doing a little or doing a lot—so we are precious in His sight. One of the other things we can read into this is the concept of dying to

self. When we die to self, we allow God to work through us. As they continue to deny themselves, allowing God to refine them and grow them, they grow closer and closer to the Lord.

The servant professed himself as God’s servant, whom God had “loosed” from his bonds (v. 16). God had set the psalmist free from death and from the things that kept him in bondage. Jesus demonstrated this in the upper room with His disciples when He washed their feet. The concept of servanthood was one of the last things Jesus demonstrated for them. As believers, we serve Jesus and we serve others.

The psalmist said he would offer God “the sacrifice of thanksgiving” (v. 17) and repeated his intention to fulfill his vows to God (v. 18). What greater testimony than to tell someone else exactly what God has done for us? The psalmist then concluded with a final call to praise the Lord (v. 19). We should incline our ear to the Lord because God has a lot to say to us; He has a lot of truth to speak into our lives. God has a lot of action He wants us to partake in and a lot of people that He wants us to minister to. When we take the time to incline our ear to Him, we will see Him move in our lives.

CLOSING

We have an intimate relationship with the Lord because: (1) we are in a covenant relationship with Him, (2) because He hears us, and (3) because we hear Him. So how do we bring more affection into our relationship with God? It’s rooted in our love for Him and His love for us. Keep an account of what He has done in your life. What has He delivered you from—not just from death but from what other things? Then be dedicated to praising Him and giving testimony among His people because He is anxiously awaiting our return to Him in heaven.