Thanksgiving for the Lord’s Saving Goodness.
118 Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good;
For His lovingkindness is everlasting.
2 Oh let Israel say,
“His lovingkindness is everlasting.”
3 Oh let the house of Aaron say,
“His lovingkindness is everlasting.”
4 Oh let those who [a]fear the Lord say,
“His lovingkindness is everlasting.”5 From my distress I called upon [b]the Lord;
[c]The Lord answered me and set me in a large place.
6 The Lord is for me; I will not fear;
What can man do to me?
7 The Lord is for me among those who help me;
Therefore I will look with satisfaction on those who hate me.
8 It is better to take refuge in the Lord
Than to trust in man.
9 It is better to take refuge in the Lord
Than to trust in princes.10 All nations surrounded me;
In the name of the Lord I will surely cut them off.
11 They surrounded me, yes, they surrounded me;
In the name of the Lord I will surely cut them off.
12 They surrounded me like bees;
They were extinguished as a fire of thorns;
In the name of the Lord I will surely cut them off.
13 You pushed me violently so that I [d]was falling,
But the Lord helped me.
14 [e]The Lord is my strength and song,
And He has become my salvation.
We talked a lot about God’s lovingkindness yesterday, and here it is again as this psalm begins. Not only did God love us enough to send His son to die in our place, not only does He love and pursue us right now, but His lovingkindess is forever. Thus, as the psalmist continues, he puts his trust in the Lord. Verse 6 is pivotal, “The Lord is for me; I will not fear; What can man do to me?”
We might also ask, “What can man do for me?” See verses 8-9 for the answer the psalmist found. If any arena in our lives displays this more clearly than politics, I don’t know what it is. “It is better to take refuge in the Lord…” than anything else. This isn’t the first time we’ve seen this theme of late, but we dare not put our hope in earthly government, as it will let us down–just as it has for decades.
People make promises they cannot keep all the time, we all do it. Some with malicious intent, others because they really do want to help you, but we promise things we cannot deliver–because we are not in control. But it isn’t just people that fail us, nor is that the only sandy soil upon which we try to build. In our finances, it is tempting to put our trust in a bank, or a fancy credit card. As the Olympics play out, one brand in particular ramps up their efforts.
Yet that is more false hope, or worse yet, a cheat masquerading as our friend and helper. Ultimately, nothing on this earth is forever, yet God’s lovingkindness is eternal. His love never fails, He is for us, and no one can oppose Him. Certainly, we ought to have good friends we can count on, but there is One who sticks closer than a brother. Be like the psalmist and say, “The Lord is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation.” Better than saying it, live it, breath it, every day, every morning and every night. He is our strength, our song, and our salvation!