God Is… How I Love Thee?
Psalm 116:1-19
July 8, 2007
Good News Christian Fellowship
BUCAS, Daraga Albay
Introduction
Our text for today’s message comes from a man who is called a “man after God’s own heart.” He is the man who has a great loved for God’s word. It is his meditation all the day (Psalm 119:97) He is also the man who loved to praise God. Seven times a day he spent times in praising God (Psalm 119:164). These are only some of the characteristics of a “man after God’s own heart.
Psalm 116 is an extraordinary expression of love, praise and thanksgiving to God. In verse 1 opens with words of affection to God: “I love the Lord.” Who is God according to this Psalmist? What motivates him to express his love to the Lord? What has God done for him to move his soul? What did he render unto Jehovah for all His benefits toward him?"
Let’s have our Bible ready and let’s discover what this psalm says to us.
I. God is Good (vv. 1-2)
In verse one we read, “ I love the Lord” (v.1a). That’s the opening statement from David. In here he talks about loving the Lord. He pour out his emotion coming from his heart. What has God done for him that move him to declared “ I love the Lord.”?
Read verse 1-2
It is clear from this verses that he experiences the goodness of God in times of his troubles, disappointments. He cries for mercies. He prays for forgiveness. And God hears his prayers. David knows how to go through to the valley of life. David knew prayer as a benefit from God. So in verse one, there is mention of the blessing, the privilege of prayer.
In verse 2 we read, "Because he hath inclined his ear unto me, therefore will I call upon him as long as I live";as if he had said, I will never give up in praying. Throughout his life prayer will be constant in his tongues.
David knows the Lord is near to all who call upon Him, in all who call upon Him in truth. (Psalm 145:18)
Do we ever wonder whether God truly hears our prayers? The weight of ongoing trials may sink our trust in Him. Setbacks, disappointments may cause you to doubt God’s power. And broken dreams may cause you to question His love.
But not David! In Psalm 40 he encourages us to wait patiently upon the Lord, whose timing is always perfect.
Let us read Psalm 40:1-3.
When we trust that God hears our prayers, when we have confidence that He is listening, we can trust that He will also answer – in His own time.
So, David not only loves the Lord because He had heard his prayers, but also because the Lord rescues him from disaster.
Read verses 3-4.
In verses 3 and 4 the psalmists talks about trouble and sorrow causing him to call upon the name of the Lord. Look at the words “snares of death,” “pangs of sheol,” “ distress and anguish.” Indeed a very distressing situation. There is no way out! So David call out on God to deliver him up
The result of real, Holy Spirit conviction is always faith in Christ. — “Then called I upon the name of the LORD: O LORD, I beseech thee, deliver my soul.”
II. God is Gracious (v.5)
The Lord our God is gracious, righteous, and merciful, full of mercy! He is gracious and merciful. — “He delighteth in mercy!”
God is gracious. It means God freely shows his goodness to reach us out tat the point of our need, restores us to fellowships with Him, and allows our soul to rest.
By God’s grace He rescues us from the dominion of sins. We deserve death, but out of His grace we received what we don’t deserve – SALVATION.
Grace abounds (2 Cor. 9:8), is surpassing (2 Cor. 9:14), and is granted (2 Tim. 1:9). We have the riches of grace (Eph. 1:7), are strengthened by grace (Heb. 13:9), and grow in grace (2 Pet. 3:18). We experience the grace of God (1 Pet. 4:10), know the grace of the Lord Jesus (Rev. 22:21), and are indwelt by the Spirit of grace (Heb. 10:29). Grace is the wonderful truth of God’s character through Jesus which is shown to us, comes upon us, and is manifested in us.
And righteous; faithful to his promises, just in every dispensation of his providence, even in afflictive ones; righteous in punishing the enemies of his people, and in saving, justifying, and pardoning them for Christ’s sake.
Yes, our God is merciful; compassionate, tenderhearted, a heart full of pity, as a father to his child; and sympathizes with his people under all their afflictions, and saves them out of them.
III. God is Faithful (v.6-8)
Then the psalmist speaks of God’s unfailing faithfulness.
“The Lord preserveth the simple” — The single-hearted; the sincere, the believing. “I was brought low, and he helped me.”
The "simple" are those without guile; those who are sincere and honest and genuine in their dedication to God. Because God is Faithful, He rescues David from distress, failure, and death.
‘God supported him under his troubles: "I was brought low, was plunged into the depth of misery, and then he helped me, helped me both to bear the worst and to hope the best, helped me to pray, else desire had failed, helped me to wait, else faith had failed. I was one of the simple ones whom God preserved, the poor man who cried and the Lord heard him,"’ (Matthew Henry commentary)
King David essentially says, “I will trust him to deliver me now and in the future who has delivered me in the past” (vv. 7-8). — “Return unto thy rest, O my soul!”
What a relief for the soul to have rest. But this relief is not the result of his merit, but of God’s mercy and faithfulness.
“Whenever a child of God even for a moment loses his peace of mind, he should be concerned to find it again, not by seeking it in the world or in his own experience, but in the Lord alone. When the believer prays, and the Lord inclines his ear, the road to the old rest is before him, let him not be slow to follow it.” (Charles Spurgeon)
Christ is our Rest. He is the Rest in whom the weary have rest. Let us ever return to him and find rest for our souls (Isa. 28:12; Matt. 11:28-30).
“Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrew 4:16)
“He abideth faithful!” — “Great is thy faithfulness!”
IV. God is our hope (v.9)
In verse nine, David speaks with assurance of a blessed hope. Because God is faithful, he is confident of this blessed, sweet, soul-cheering fact.
David lives a life of devotedness to God. Always in subjection to God’s will. David look to God alone for redemption, righteousness, and forgiveness.
David confidently sang…
(Psalms 23:6) “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.”
“O my soul, to walk in the land of the living is to walk in the paths of righteousness: for there is no such death to the soul as sin, no such cause of tears to the eyes as guiltiness of conscience, no such falling of the feet as to fall from God: and therefore, to say the truth, the soul can never return to its rest if we walk not within in the paths of righteousness..” (Sir Richard Baker)
Noticed verses 10-11, Yet, while here, I must pass through relentless tribulation, trouble, and sorrow. Yet the King David recalls how he believed in God during the relentless trouble, affliction, when he came to realize his own desperate condition and of no hope of those around him.
“There was no mistake about that; the affliction was as bitter and as terrible as it well could be, and since I have been delivered from it, I am sure that the deliverance is no fanatical delusion, but a self evident fact; therefore am I the more resolved to speak to the honour of God. Though greatly afflicted, the Psalmist had not ceased to believe: his faith was tried but not destroyed.” (Charles Spurgeon)
When King David finally stopped depending on himself and others, then he could truly lean on God – his hope in times of troubles. And it was at the point of complete dependency that the Lord rescued him.
Because God is good; because God is Gracious; because God is Faithful; and because God is his hope, King David declares “I love the Lord.” In the following verses he shows how he loved God.
And now King David asks the question:
“What shall I render to the Lord for all His benefits towards me? (v.12)
David seems to direct all his thoughts to the worship of the great, gracious God of salvation. He speaks of gratitude (v. 13), commitment to Christ (v. 14-16), public worship and praise (v.17-19)
Brethren, David speaks his gratitude towards God. He also keeps his promise to God and he offered Him thanksgiving and praise.
Now, let’s asks ourselves the same question: What can we render to God in return for all the precious gifts He has given us?
King David list four things that can be given to God.
Praise God for Salvation (v.13) – “I shall lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord.” That means that he will utter blessings and thanksgivings and prayers; to publicly praise God; and to announce His anointing.
Praise God for delivering us from doubt, anxiety, depression, disappointments, failures, sins, and death.
Praise God for saving our soul. Salvation is the free, unmerited gift of God in Christ. It is not something to earn. It is not something we purchase. It is not something for which we barter. It is the gift of God.
• Redemption is God’s gift.
• Eternal life is God’s gift.
• Faith in Christ is God’s gift.
Salvation is a gift we receive by divine bestowment and take by faith in Christ. Christ is the Giver. We are just takers. He needs nothing from us and will take nothing we try to bring in exchange for his gift. He drank for us the cup of wrath. — “Thou hast drunken the dregs of the cup of trembling, and wrung them out” (Isa. 51:17). We take from him the cup of salvation.
What else we can offer God in return?
Keep Our Promise to Him (v.14-16) – “ I shall pay my vows to the Lord, in the presence of all his people.”
What promises we have made before to the Lord? Where are they now? Have you keep it? If not, its time for soul searching. Here, King David model for us how he offer God in return.
If you will notice King David repeats these very same words in verse 18. It just shows how important it is.
We prove our integrity by keeping our promises to God. But of course we prove also our integrity to our families and friends.
King Solomon has also this piece of advice:
“When you vow to the Lord, do not delay paying it; for He has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you vow’ (Ecclesiastes 5:4)
Our obedience and submission to His will are what He desires, and He promises to reward our faithfulness.
Offer Praise and Worship to Him (v.17-19) –
What else can we offer? What does God desires? Our humble sacrifice of thanksgiving. Our genuine gratitude. He wants us to announce His praise to the world!
"We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you," (Colossians 1:3, KJV).
"Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:" (Colossians 1:12, KJV).
“…I will bow before thee reverently, lift up my heart in love to thee, think upon thy character, and adore thee as thou dost reveal thyself. He is fond of this occupation, and several times in this Psalm declares that "he will call upon the name of the Lord, "while at the same time he rejoices that he had done so many a time before. Good feelings and actions bear repeating: the more of hearty callings upon God the better.” (Charles Spurgeon)
Application
1. In what other ways do you express your love to the Lord?
2. If you were going to write a poem to God, what would it say?
3. What blessings have you received from the Lord lately? How do you render back to Him?
4. Have you experienced moments of sorrow and disappointments? What happened? How did you feel? Did God restore you?
