Bible relays God cares

In Psalm 116:1-2, Scripture reads, “I love the Lord because he hears my voice and my supplications. Because he has inclined His ear to me, therefore I shall call upon Him as long as I live.”

Verses 5-6 of this Psalm continues with “Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; Yes, our God is compassionate. The Lord preserves the simple. I was brought low and He saved me.”

Isn’t it good to know that we are not in the battle of life alone?

These verses provide us with blessed assurance.

There will be times when we can feel as though the battle and its outcome may totally depend on us, our reactions and choices.

Life can supply us with trials and tribulations that come regardless of decisions made.

Its life, and there will be ups and downs.

Days filled with struggles may sometimes feel endless, and desired change may seem so far away.

For those days and times we will receive hope from Scripture.

Knowing that the Lord is with us and for us through it all will provide us with the comfort and encouragement needed to continue life’s journey.

God offers us the reassurance that he hears our cries, and with compassion reaches out to answer our prayers. This Psalm was written by David, King of Israel.

According to Bible commentaries, it was written for one who experienced pain, suffering and sickness; a life that could have easily resulted in death.

Anyone who has been ill for a long while or who is a caregiver for another understands the turmoil associated with sickness.

There is the battle and the fear.

The battle to become well again, whether it is physical, emotional or mental can be an exhausting one for all involved.

Hours and days of preoccupation with the struggles of trying to regain health is a drain on each person individually.

Spiritually speaking, it can produce questioning within ourselves as to God’s help, intervention and care during this trying time.

Fear can enter due to the uncertainty of the situation.

It is during these times that we must make the decision to reaffirm our trust in God and of his constant care.

We are not alone.

The psalmist reminds us that during times of sickness, or health, we should pray.

Prayer is open communication with the Lord.

God hears our prayers.

Our voice is heard by Almighty God and his ear is open to our supplications.

The word supplications means “a humble and sincere appeal to someone who has the power to grant a request.”

To pray is to recognize that there can be an intervention and an answer provided for us that we cannot personally achieve.

Our strength and power is limited.

His is limitless.

Prayer is reaching into heaven and accepting the answer.

It is our reliance upon someone greater than us and our circumstances, who is more than able to change the situation and provide the help needed.

With God, all things are possible. We know from Scripture, and the psalmist’s declaration that prayers were answered.

The psalmist affirms his trust in the Lord for as long as he lives.

He will look to the Lord to help him, and he did.

We too can apply this principal of faith and receive the answer.

For some it may be the strength for one more day.

For others, it is accepting God’s will and knowing that he will be there to provide strength and comfort.

It may be referred to as blind faith, not seeing an immediate answer, yet still holding on to the promises of God.

To make the decision to continue along the faith path of life, knowing that underneath are the everlasting arms.

For us, it is living life, one day at a time and trusting the Lord implicitly. God is good. We can trust him with our lives.

Scripture notes he is gracious, righteous and compassionate. His mercy is everlasting and his grace is more than sufficient for every situation of life.

Today, talk to the Lord. Pray and believe. He is there; he will lift you up above your circumstances and give you peace.

Patty Scahill of Austintown is a conference speaker and author.