I Love the Lord!
Psalm 116 is another one of those psalms which the Lord sang in the upper room the night before He was crucified. Wouldn't you have loved to hear the Lord speak? Wouldn't you have loved to hear the Lord sing?
C. H. Spurgeon said of this psalm:
"Since our divine Master sang this hymn, we can hardly err in seeing here words to which he could set his seal, - words in a measure descriptive of his own experience; but upon this we will not enlarge, as in the notes we have indicated how the Psalm has been understood by those who love to find their Lord in every line."
Verse 1:
I love the Lord, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy.
The Psalmist in these 19 verses mentions "the Lord" 34 times and himself 36 times. There are 3 reasons stated in these first 2 verses as to why the Psalmist loves the Lord: (1) "he heard my voice"; (2) "he heard my cry for mercy"; (3) "he turned his ear to me."
When was the last time that you said "I love You Lord"?
It reminds me of an elderly man who was having problems in his marriage. He was asked if he had told his wife that he loved her and he said "I told her 25 years ago and it still stands until I revoke it!"
Perhaps it's been that long since you have really told the Lord from the bottom of your heart how much you love Him. I think it would be a good idea for you to do that this morning.
I remember the story of a young boy with cerebral palsy by the name of Billy who went to the junior high camp. It came time for Billy to give the devotions in the cabin with the other boys. It took Billy almost 5 minutes to say 7 words: "Jesus...loves me...and I...love Jesus."
A revival broke out in that camp after Billy's short testimony.
"I love the Lord": (1) "he heard my voice" and (2) "he heard my cry for mercy." This is the song that David wrote during the time of Absalom's rebellion and taking the kingdom from his father.
Verse 2:
Because he turned his ear to me, I will call on him as long as I live.
Because the Lord has done these 3 wonderful things for the Psalmist, he resolves: "I will call on him as long as I live." I really don't need to go anywhere else.
Isaiah 65:24: "Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear" (NIV).
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