Thursday, September 4, 2025  

Today's Scripture
Psalm 116

I love the Lord because he has heard
my voice and my supplications.
Because he inclined his ear to me,
therefore I will call on him as long as I live.
The snares of death encompassed me;
the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me;
I suffered distress and anguish.
Then I called on the name of the Lord,
“O Lord, I pray, save my life!”

Gracious is the Lord and righteous;
our God is merciful.
The Lord protects the simple;
when I was brought low, he saved me.
Return, O my soul, to your rest,
for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you.

For you have delivered my soul from death,
my eyes from tears,
my feet from stumbling.
I walk before the Lord
in the land of the living.
I kept my faith, even when I said,
“I am greatly afflicted”;
I said in my consternation,
“Everyone is a liar.”

What shall I return to the Lord
for all his bounty to me?
I will lift up the cup of salvation
and call on the name of the Lord;
I will pay my vows to the Lord
in the presence of all his people.
Precious in the sight of the Lord
is the death of his faithful ones.
O Lord, I am your servant;
I am your servant, the child of your serving girl.
You have loosed my bonds.
I will offer to you a thanksgiving sacrifice
and call on the name of the Lord.
I will pay my vows to the Lord
in the presence of all his people,
in the courts of the house of the Lord,
in your midst, O Jerusalem.
Praise the Lord! (NRSVUE)

Reflection

When I read the beginning of this psalm, I was struck by the sincere appreciation the psalmist has for the Lord.

The psalmist comments that the Lord heard the psalmist’s voice and cry for mercy. Now, because the Lord turned the Lord’s ear to the psalmist, the psalmist will call on the Lord as long as the psalmist lives.

What a deep expression of such gratitude for the Lord hearing a concern! I also find comfort in knowing that the Lord hears my voice and cries for mercy.

Prayer

Dear Lord, thank you for the comfort of knowing that you hear my voice and my cry for mercy. Amen.  

Written by Pamela Spann, Member of Fourth Presbyterian Church

Reflection and Prayer © Fourth Presbyterian Church

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