“I love the LORD because he has heard my appeal for mercy.” vs1

There’s a reason that we love the Lord: He hasn’t asked us to serve him in vain. He gives the best reason of our redemption, election, and future glorification. He’s given us every reason to love him, because he first loved us, and delivered us from sin. Other troubles may have troubled us, but sin was our big problem. He gave us forgiveness, cleansing, and sure hope of heaven. He promises us a sinless eternity where death, rebellion, and temptation will be no more!

Secondly, call upon him, because he hears you. Vs2, “Because he has turned his ear to me, I will call out to him as long as I live.” He heard you in the past, and he’ll hear again, so use the throne of grace. Don’t forget that he’s your deliverer. Don’t seek the arm of the flesh. Trust the Lord all the way. He’s faithful. 2 Chronicles 15:2, "He went out to meet Asa and said to him, “Hear me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin: The Lord is with you, while you are with him. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you abandon him, he will abandon you."

I called upon the name of the Lord, when my troubles were severe. Psalm 116:3-4, "The ropes of death were wrapped around me, and the torments of Sheol overcame me; I encountered trouble and sorrow. Then I called on the name of the LORD: “LORD, save me! ” Sin, rather than being a reason to quit crying, is the reason that we cry out, as it oppresses us. We are assaulted by guilt and shame. Unbelief shakes our faith. We even find ourselves slipping into worldliness, but cry out for deliverance: Tell the Lord all about it. Don’t make the mistake of, “I’ll handle this, and present my obedience to Christ.” Instead, come to him as a sinner. Call upon him in guilt and confusion. Draw near in your dirtiness.

Seek nothing yourself. Salvation is of the Lord. Jonah went the wrong direction, but from the belly of the fish, he cried out. God didn’t hear him instantly, but after three days, Jonah was broken, believing, and the fish spat him out. Call out because it’s desperate, and look to your hope. Jonah 2:2 saying, “I called to the Lord out of my distress, and he answered me; out of the belly of Sheol I cried, and you heard my voice."

Thirdly, God is merciful to sinners and saints. Psalms 116:5," Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; our God is merciful." He helps people in need. This enables us to call upon him, though we’ve been wrong…and to call upon him in our need.

Look upon God as loving and saving. Don’t think your problem is bigger than the grace of the Lord. No matter where we are, he can help us. He can restore our soul to worship and fellowship!

When we’re brought low, he saves us. Psalms 116:6, "The Lord protects the simple; when I was brought low, he saved me." We don’t need strength or anything else to give him. We don’t need worthiness or human hopes. We simply need God to save, as he has promised, and he’s proven himself faithful.

He saves the vilest wretch, though guilty. He saves the weakest addict, though enslaved by sin. He saves the biggest hypocrite, who’s squandered his years. He saves the old person who can’t serve him on earth! He saves to glorify himself, and he saves the most unworthy and the most useless. People who’ve hated God and served themselves will be saved by amazing grace, when they cry out! Don’t let your low condition… your many failures and sinning against light… and don’t let your newfound knowledge of personal sinfulness cast you off from hope in the Lord. This hope is real and powerful; it will save!

Finally, ah, the bountiful dealings of the Lord. Vs7, “Return to your rest, O my soul, for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you.”

He has given us grace for our sins. He’s shown us what’s good and evil. He delivered us from our greatest fear, which is his rejection. He’s given us power to serve him, and to forsake the world. Our lives are not meaninglessly cast upon the dunghill of human praise. We’re living that others might know Christ. We’re magnifying his name.