Call on the LORD (Part 2)

When the psalmist thought he was going to die—and it seemed the grave had a hold on him, he cried out to God.  He learned that God is gracious to those with great needs.  Let's cry out to Him!

January 12, 2019

"The sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of hell gat hold upon me: I found trouble and sorrow.  Then called I upon the name of the LORD; O LORD, I beseech thee, deliver my soul."

Psalm 116:3-4

Part 2

Yesterday:
“The sorrows of death compassed me,”
“And the pains of hell gat hold upon me:”

Today:
“I found trouble and sorrow.”
“Death found me, and I found trouble and sorrow.  I did not seek it, but in what I was seeking I found this.  Whatever we fail to ‘find’ in the pursuits of life, we shall not fail to find the troubles and sorrows connected with death.  They are in our path wherever we turn, and we cannot avoid them,”1 (Barnes).

When death comes for you, the wise solution is to know the LORD.  Be sure your soul is in His care long before you find the “trouble and sorrow,” of death.

“Then called I upon the name of the LORD;”
When the psalmist realized he had no other one to help him, he called on the LORD.  There is no refuge, help, or safety, away from the LORD.  He is the all-powerful God who can meet all of my needs, even when I am threatened by death.  David realized there is no other that can help us.

“In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears,” (Psalm 18:6).

“O LORD, I beseech thee, deliver my soul.”
The psalmist is not asking for God’s salvation here, but he is praying for his very life, his soul to be preserved.  He did not believe it was time for him to die, but to continue living and serving his God.  He is asking the LORD to protect his life.  When our soul is in danger of perishing, we turn to our LORD who is the only one that can help.

What was the result of the psalmist’s cry for help?

“For thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling.  I will walk before the LORD in the land of the living,” (Psalm 116:8-9).

Can you say with the psalmist that the LORD is your refuge?  Walking with the LORD, we have “no worries,” not even death!

 

 

 

1.  Albert Barnes, Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible, the electronic version in eSword.