I love the Lord, because He has heard My voice and my supplications, Because He has inclined His ear to me, Therefore I will call upon Him as long as I live. (Psalm 116:1,2)

 

Most parents will always remember the cries of their newborn babies in the middle of the night shortly after they have been brought home from the hospital.  Gladys and I would take turns getting up with our children because she and I were both working parents.  When we would pick our children up, they would almost always stop crying.  It seemed important to them that we "heard" them and we were doing something about it.  Perhaps they were hungry; or wet; or just wanted to be held.  Whatever the reason might have been for them to cry out, our hearing them started the process of contentment for them.

 

We still try to hear the voices of our children when they call us.  Of course, they are grown now and able to take care of themselves.  But we never get too old to call on those who care for us, and who we care for as well.  Our Heavenly, Father is One who is always there to hear our cry.  I like to hear the Deacons start devotionals with, " I Love the Lord, He Heard My Cry!"  It is truly comforting to know that God listens to our supplications in our times of need.  Others may not have time for us.  But God always makes time. He inclines His ear to us when no one else will listen.

 

In the passage above, the Psalmist is greatly afflicted and feeling low until he cries out to the Lord for help.  His testimony is that the Lord heard him, and delivered him from the pains of death.  His very soul was in danger of being lost.  But God was merciful to him and dealt bountifully with him.  For that reason, he promised to call upon the Lord for the rest of his life.  

 

Truly there are many reasons to love the Lord.  But among those reasons is the one mentioned in this Psalm.  We love God because He hears our cry.  We are never alone when we have the Lord on our side.  We can feel the same kind of comfort that a newborn baby feels when crying in the night.  He picks us up and tells us that all is well.  We know that He will never leave us nor forsake us.  

 

If you are going through something right now, call on the Lord.  He will hear you, and deliver you from your most anxious situations.  And after He has delivered you, don't forget to give Him praise (verse 10).