Psalm 116:5-9 Now Available feat. Ethan Nathaniel and Taylor Armstrong

Psalms

Oct 16

Psalm 116:5-9 is now available on all streaming platforms!

THE VERSE

[5] Gracious is the LORD, and righteous;
our God is merciful.
[6] The LORD preserves the simple;
when I was brought low, he saved me.
[7] Return, O my soul, to your rest;
for the LORD has dealt bountifully with you.
[8] For you have delivered my soul from death,
my eyes from tears,
my feet from stumbling;
[9] I will walk before the LORD
in the land of the living. (ESV)

Psalm 116 is part of a compilation of psalms (Psalm 113-118) known as the Egyptian Hallel, traditionally sung during the Passover. It's a beautifully personal psalm of thanksgiving to God. The psalmist found themselves in an unnamed near-death situation where they experienced the deliverance of God firsthand.

These particular verses highlight three essential attributes of God, reminding us that He's gracious, righteous, and merciful. Because He is all these things, He is not static or passive but moves in love toward us. We find that the three things that the psalmist was facing (death, tears, and stumbling) were no match for these three attributes of God. In His grace, righteousness, and mercy, God delivered him from all of them!

What's the outcome following this miraculous deliverance? The psalmist does two things: he calls his soul to return to its rest and then declares he will walk with God in the land of the living. A soul that's at rest, and a life lived in intimacy with God.

Psalm 116:5-9 invites us to remember who God is and what He's done, and in turn call our souls to return to find their true rest in God; to live in communion with Him! This is what we were created for. These verses invite us to strip away the complexities and distractions, calling our souls to find simplicity in God again and a life lived with Him.

What about you? What stands out about this passage to you? What do you notice? Listen to the song and try lingering there... Talk to God as you do.

Happy meditating!

The Song + The Artists

This song was written and co-produced by Ethan Nathaniel and Taylor Armstrong. Mixed by Taylor Armstrong. Mastered by Dave Wilton at Coalesce Studios.