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Illustration for Psalm 116: I Love the LORD

Psalm 116

I Love the LORD

GratitudePraiseWisdom

God heard my prayer and saved me — so I will love Him forever! This psalm says God is gracious and righteous and full of compassion. He protects even simple and helpless people. The right response is to lift up the cup of salvation and call on God's name.

  1. 1I love the LORD, for He has heard my voice; He has heard my cry for mercy.
  2. 2Because He turned His ear to me, I will call on Him as long as I live.
  3. 3The cords of death entangled me, the anguish of the grave came over me; I was overcome by distress and sorrow.
  4. 4Then I called on the name of the LORD: "LORD, save me!"
  5. 5The LORD is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion.
  6. 6The LORD protects the unwary; when I was brought low, He saved me.
  7. 7Return to your rest, my soul, for the LORD has been good to you.
  8. 8For You, LORD, have delivered me from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling,
  9. 9that I may walk before the LORD in the land of the living.
  10. 10I trusted in the LORD when I said, "I am greatly afflicted";
  11. 11in my alarm I said, "Everyone is a liar."
  12. 12What shall I return to the LORD for all His goodness to me?
  13. 13I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD.
  14. 14I will fulfill my vows to the LORD in the presence of all His people.
  15. 15Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of His faithful servants.
  16. 16Truly I am Your servant, LORD; I serve You just as my mother did; You have freed me from my chains.
  17. 17I will sacrifice a thank offering to You and call on the name of the LORD.
  18. 18I will fulfill my vows to the LORD in the presence of all His people,
  19. 19in the courts of the house of the LORD— in your midst, Jerusalem. Hallelujah!

What it means

The reason given for loving God here is beautifully simple: because He listened. Not because of a miracle or a spectacle — because when this person spoke, God heard. That is reason enough, and it is available to you every single day.

A little prayer

Lord, I love You because You hear me when I speak. Thank You for listening to my cry and being kind to me. I want to keep calling on You for the rest of my life. Amen.

Memory verse

“I love the LORD, for He has heard my voice; He has heard my cry for mercy.”

Psalm 116:1 (BSB)

It gives a reason for love that anybody who has been properly listened to will recognise.

Talk about it

Questions with no single right answer — for a family table or a Sunday-school circle.

  1. The psalm starts 'I love the LORD because He heard me'. Is love a reasonable response to being heard?
  2. It says the death of God's people is precious in His sight. What does precious mean there?
  3. The writer asks what he can give back and decides to keep his promises publicly. Why publicly?
  4. Who listened to you when it mattered?

Try this

Really listening

Take turns talking for two minutes while the other person says nothing at all — no advice, no 'me too'. Swap. Talk about what being properly heard felt like.

You will need: A timer.

Scripture from the Berean Standard Bible (BSB)