He Listens

Psalms 116:1-2 (ESV)

1 I love the LORD, because he has heard my voice and my pleas for mercy.

2 Because he inclined his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live.

In my reading today, the reading plan led me to one of my favorites of the four Gospels, and my favorite chapter in Psalms. I was amazed at how the 116 chapter of Psalms paralleled with the first chapter of Luke. Each begins with hearing.

Only the thing that is amazing is, it’s not focused on our hearing, but God’s. It doesn’t specifically say if David wrote this Psalm, but it sounds to me that he did. Either way, whether we know the writer or not, God knew him.

The writer says I love The Lord because He heard me. He heard my voice, and my plea for mercy. Next the writer says He inclined His ear to me. Have you ever looked up inclined in Hebrew?

Just a few of the words it means are

to turn, influence, and bend down. To hold out, extend, thrust aside, and thrust away. Aren’t you glad He was more influenced by our need than repulsed by our condition?

I’m so glad He didn’t just bend down, He wrapped Himself in a robe of flesh to rescue us all! He held out more than a golden scepter when we were before His court, He held out His hands in our place. Christ extended mercy so we could live!

He thrust aside every obstacle, and thrust away our sins through His blood, death, and sacrifice as far as the east is from the west. He heard us, which is the message of Luke’s first chapter. Mary, Elizabeth, and Zachariah’s primary praise was that God had heard them. I’m so glad He not only heard them, He inclined His ear, and heart to us all!