God Speaks
1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good!
His faithful love endures forever.
2 Let all Israel repeat:
“His faithful love endures forever.”
3 Let Aaron’s descendants, the priests, repeat:
“His faithful love endures forever.”
4 Let all who fear the Lord repeat:
“His faithful love endures forever.”
5 In my distress I prayed to the Lord,
and the Lord answered me and set me free.
6 The Lord is for me, so I will have no fear.
What can mere people do to me?
7 Yes, the Lord is for me; he will help me.
I will look in triumph at those who hate me.
8 It is better to take refuge in the Lord
than to trust in people.
9 It is better to take refuge in the Lord
than to trust in princes.
10 Though hostile nations surrounded me,
I destroyed them all with the authority of the Lord.
11 Yes, they surrounded and attacked me,
but I destroyed them all with the authority of the Lord.
12 They swarmed around me like bees;
they blazed against me like a crackling fire.
But I destroyed them all with the authority of the Lord.
13 My enemies did their best to kill me,
but the Lord rescued me.
14 The Lord is my strength and my song;
he has given me victory.
15 Songs of joy and victory are sung in the camp of the godly.
The strong right arm of the Lord has done glorious things!
16 The strong right arm of the Lord is raised in triumph.
The strong right arm of the Lord has done glorious things!
17 I will not die; instead, I will live
to tell what the Lord has done.
18 The Lord has punished me severely,
but he did not let me die.
19 Open for me the gates where the righteous enter,
and I will go in and thank the Lord.
20 These gates lead to the presence of the Lord,
and the godly enter there.
21 I thank you for answering my prayer
and giving me victory!
22 The stone that the builders rejected
has now become the cornerstone.
23 This is the Lord’s doing,
and it is wonderful to see.
24 This is the day the Lord has made.
We will rejoice and be glad in it.
25 Please, Lord, please save us.
Please, Lord, please give us success.
26 Bless the one who comes in the name of the Lord.
We bless you from the house of the Lord.
27 The Lord is God, shining upon us.
Take the sacrifice and bind it with cords on the altar.
28 You are my God, and I will praise you!
You are my God, and I will exalt you!
29 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good!
His faithful love endures forever.
Source: New Living Translation: BibleGateway.com
We Respond
Reflection: Consider the following questions regarding Psalm 118.
1. What does this chapter tell me about God?
2. What does this chapter tell me about the human beings He created?
Here is one possible answer to each of these questions. Ask the Holy Spirit if there are any others for you personally to ponder.
1. The LORD God is good! His faithful love endures forever. He is for all people and is willing to help them.
2. The LORD has made every provision to help people turn to and trust in Him. It is up to them to surrender.
Prayer:
3. How might I pray regarding Psalm 118?
Dear most gracious and merciful God, I do thank You for Your great goodness. Thank You that Your faithful love endures forever. May all people come to say, “His faithful love endures forever.” Thank You that whenever I have been in distress, I have called out to You, and You have answered me and set me free (from circumstances and from sin, self, and satanic attack). You are for me; You freed me from fear. You enable me to look with triumph on my enemies. Help me to trust in You, not in anything or anyone else. May Your people by Your authority, LORD, defeat hostile nations and destroy those who would do them harm. Though these enemies swarm around me like bees or seek to consume me like a roaring fire, help me to defeat them by Your power. Please rescue from death those who look to You in praise and worship. Be their strength and give them the victory. It is only Your strong and mighty arm that can do this. May people who are following You not die but live to tell what You, LORD, have done for them. Although You may need to punish us severely, don’t let us die. Open for us the gates of righteousness so that we may enter in and thank You, LORD. Thank You that this has already been accomplished in Your sight. We, Your people who are called by Your name, thank You for answering our prayers and giving us the victory! Though we (and You, Jesus) have been rejected in the past, the LORD has made us (and Him) the cornerstone of His magnificent building. This is marvelous in our sight and makes us glad today. Please, LORD, please save us and give us success wherever we are. Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the LORD. We will praise and exalt the LORD God in His sanctuary forever. I will give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! His faithful love endures forever. AMEN
Action: (Ask God, the Holy Spirit, if He wants you to work on one of the suggestions below or something else more personal that He points out.)
4. What action does the LORD want me to take in response to Psalm 118?
- I will join with other believers in praising and thanking God for the freedom He has given us in Christ Jesus.
- I will express my love and trust in God in public at least once daily.
- I will face my opponents with courage because I know the LORD God is for me.
- I will give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! His faithful love endures forever.
Share: I plan to share what I’ve learned with __________.