I Love The Lord Because... | Psalm 116 : 1-9

“I love the Lord because…” is the psalmist’s lead line, and Psalm 116 stacks reasons until love turns into worship. The psalmist says love is not vague sentiment but real affection. Love has an effect. When God’s name and works are remembered, something ought to swell inside. If nothing moves, Revelation’s warning about leaving first love lands hard, so the psalm’s list works like kindling to get the fire going again.

The psalm first says love rises because God hears. “He hath heard my voice and my supplications… he hath inclined his ear unto me.” Hearing is not distant or muffled. The living God bends down, cups his ear, and understands clearly. False gods cannot hear. Isaiah mocks idols that must be carried, while the Lord carries his people. Elijah’s 63-word prayer drew fire because Jehovah is alive. Past answers feed present confidence, so the psalm says, because God inclined his ear yesterday, calling will continue as long as life lasts.

The psalm then says love rises because hell’s claim has been broken. “The sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of hell gat hold upon me… then called I upon the name of the Lord.” That is Romans 10 put into prayer. Before grace, death felt near and hell felt real. But calling on the Lord brings deliverance. A saved soul can say, “delivered my soul from death,” and even dare the bold witness, “couldn’t go to hell if I tried,” not because of merit but because the blood of Christ holds.

The psalm then loves God for who he is, not just what he does: “gracious… righteous… merciful.” Grace stoops. The Word became flesh and came down to the level of sinners. Righteousness means God never does wrong. He is the standard. Mercy means “ready to forgive,” and Micah says he delights in it. He is not reluctant. He enjoys pardoning.

Finally, the psalm loves God because he helps. “The Lord preserveth the simple… I was brought low, and he helped me.” Help came in the low place, and help keeps coming. The same Lord who delivered the soul also keeps eyes from tears and feet from falling. On that record the psalm rests, and then it walks “before the Lord in the land of the living.”

Key Takeaways

• 1. Love is holy affection Love that never feels anything likely forgot someone, not something. When Christ and his cross are remembered, love should move, sing, and ache in a good way. If nothing stirs, that is a dashboard light, not a destination. Let Psalm 116’s reasons be the spark that gets love burning again. [19:47]
• 2. Prayer leans on God’s open ear The Lord does not sleep, and he does not miss a word. He inclines, which means he bends low and understands. Past answers are not nostalgia but fuel for fresh asking today and steady asking tomorrow. Yesterday’s hearing gives courage to call as long as breath lasts. [30:24]
• 3. Salvation ends hell’s claim forever The gospel meets real fear with a real Savior. Death once felt near and hell once felt deserved, but “then called I upon the name of the Lord” turns dread into deliverance. Calling flows from believing the One heard about, and the One believed on never loses a soul he saves. [32:08]
• 4. God stoops, stands right, delights in mercy Grace comes down, righteousness never errs, and mercy is not coerced. He is ready to forgive, and more than ready, he enjoys it. Loving God for who he is steadies the heart when circumstances change and teaches praise even when prayers wait for answers. [47:54]
• 5. Help meets the soul in the low place God does not wait for the climb; he joins the valley. Being brought low is not the end of the story when the Helper enters it. The One who kept the soul from death also keeps eyes from tears and feet from falling, and that steady keeping frees a life to walk before him. [49:55]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [13:38] - Vows and public thanks
• [14:30] - Reading Psalm 116:1-9
• [15:46] - Delivered from death, tears, falling
• [19:47] - Love defined as affection
• [22:03] - Rekindling first love
• [23:20] - The God who hears prayer
• [25:52] - Isaiah 46: idols that cannot hear
• [28:03] - Mount Carmel and answered fire
• [30:24] - Past hearing fuels lifelong calling
• [32:08] - Not going to hell
• [36:21] - Luke 16: rich man and Lazarus
• [40:55] - Calling on the Lord to be saved
• [45:03] - Gracious, righteous, merciful
• [49:32] - Help in the low place
• [51:05] - Unchanging help and invitation

1. What four specific reasons does the psalmist give for loving the Lord in Psalm 116:1-9?
2. How does the psalmist describe God’s posture toward prayer in verse 2? What does this imagery reveal about His character?
3. In verse 8, what three things does the psalmist credit God with delivering him from? How do these outcomes connect to the earlier struggles described in verse 3?
4. According to the sermon, what is the difference between loving God for what He does versus who He is? [45:03]

1. Why does the psalmist link his love for God to the act of being heard (v. 1-2)? How might unanswered prayers challenge this connection, and how does the sermon address this tension? [30:24]
2. The psalmist says, “I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living” (v. 9). What does this statement imply about the relationship between gratitude for past deliverance and daily faithfulness?
3. How does the reality of deliverance from “the pains of hell” (v. 3) reshape a person’s identity and purpose? [32:08]
4. The sermon describes God as “gracious, righteous, and merciful” (v. 5). How do these three traits work together to deepen love for Him, even in difficult circumstances? [47:54]

1. When was a time you felt God “inclined His ear” to you in a specific situation? How could remembering that moment fuel your confidence in prayer today? [30:24]
2. The psalmist lists tangible reasons for loving God. What are three personal “because” statements you could add to “I love the Lord…” based on your own life?
3. The sermon warns about losing “first love” for God. What practical step could you take this week to rekindle affection for Him—like revisiting answered prayers or meditating on His character? [22:03]
4. How might sharing your story of deliverance (from fear, sin, or despair) encourage someone else who feels “brought low” (v. 6)? [32:37]
5. The psalmist celebrates God’s help in “the low place” (v. 6). Where do you currently need to trust that God is present and active, even if the situation feels unresolved? [49:55]
6. How could reflecting on God’s mercy being delightful to Him (Micah 7:18) change the way you approach repentance or forgiveness in relationships? [48:41]