Bible Studies

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The Songs
Psalm 116:1-4, 12-19 - A Cup of Worship

Key Verses: (NLT)

• 1-2: “I love the LORD because He hears and answers my prayers. ²Because He bends down and listens, I will pray as long as I have breath!" - God avidly awaits our prayers, not as a steady stream of verbiage passing His way but actively sitting on the edge of His chair and leaning in. He hears, listens, and answers.
  
  
• 3-4: "Death had its hands around my throat; the terrors of the grave overtook me. I saw only trouble and sorrow. ⁴Then I called on the name of the LORD: "Please, LORD, save me!" - From the depths of destruction and death or from the throes of hopelessness and despair we can call out to the Lord and He will listen.
  
  
• 12: "What can I offer the LORD for all He has done for me?" - Once our prayers are answered we face the dilemma of having nothing worthy of repaying the love He freely gives.
  
  
• 13: "I will lift up a cup symbolizing His salvation; I will praise the LORD's name for saving me." - Worship is our only avenue. It is not a payment; no currency could approach the value of His love. Worship is a thankful response for the saving grace God has poured into our lives.
  
  
• 15: "The LORD's loved ones are precious to Him; it grieves Him when they die." - God holds all life to be precious and He grieves over the loss of a loved one just as we grieve. For evidence of this truth refer to John 11:35 where Jesus cries over the death of His friend Lazarus.
  
  
• 18-19: "I will keep my promises to the LORD in the presence of all His people, ¹⁹in the house of the LORD, in the heart of Jerusalem. Praise the LORD!" - Prayers have been answered and promises kept - these are the visible elements of a relationship with God and they are to be shared with the world.
  

Points to Contemplate:

• Does God hear your prayers? Has He answered them? Do you feel God is anxiously waiting to hear from you at all times or do you think He is too busy to bother? Does it provide you with a sense of relief to know that God bends down and actively listens each time you pray? With Him ready to listen at a moment's notice, shouldn't you pray more often? If you prayed with your every breath, what would be the result? Would you be filled with a greater sense of peace? Would you feel in sync with His plans for your life?
  
  
• Have you ever been seized by the terrors of death? Does fear and anxiety sometimes wash over you? Do the uncertainties of what lay ahead cause your throat to tighten, your pulse to race, and your breath to shorten? Do you fear death? Failure? The unknown? The psalmist faced death. Real or imagined, it was a scary proposition. In the midst of his fear He called out to God and was saved. Does God save you from your fears? When you call out to Him and give to Him control over your deepest worries, do you feel His peace enter your heart? Does His gift of salvation brighten your outlook and relieve your anxiety?
  
  
• "What can (you) offer the LORD for all He has done for (you)?" Are you overwhelmed with gratitude? Do you feel there must be something you could do in response to His grace? Should you be more loving? More holy? More accepting of others? Do you feel He expects you to become a servant, helping others in their times of need? Should you donate more money? Participate more often in church activities? Will anything you do in ministry repay God for the amount of love He has poured into your life? Does this cause you to want to worship and praise God with all your heart?
  

Promise of the Gospel:

The psalmist faced death and destruction. Everything in his life was falling apart. Fear and anxiety filled his heart and he was certain that life, as he knew it, would end. He could have been facing the throes of certain death from an attack of an enemy or wild animal or he could have been trying to balance a check book with creditors pounding at his door. Either way, the end was at hand. With nothing left to do he called out to the Lord. Suddenly he became aware that God was intently leaning in, listening, and ready to answer his prayers. Salvation came raining down and eternal life was guaranteed. In response to this undeserving and unearned gift of love, the psalmist came to realize that there was nothing he could offer God as payment. The gift was too large. Instead, all that was left was to do was to lift a cup of worship in symbolic praise to God for the salvation He provides. Praise God! His grace is for all.

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