Redeemer Church Of Waterford

From the time he was old enough to speak, David would have begun each morning reciting the Shema from Deuteronomy 6: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might.” No reason is given – just a command that we love the Lord. Psalm 116 is the Anti-Shema: In the Shema, we are hearing (“Hear, O Israel”); In Psalm 116, God is hearing (“The Lord has heard me”); In the Shema, we are compelled to love God; In Psalm 116, our love for God is not constrained by legalistic duty, but rather is a joyful response to God’s grace and mercy.