(1) Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever… (4) Let those who fear the LORD now say, “His mercy endures forever.” (5) I called on the LORD in distress; The LORD answered me and set me in a broad place. (6) The LORD is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me? … (8) It is better to trust in the LORD Than to put confidence in man. (9) It is better to trust in the LORD Than to put confidence in princes… (17) I shall not die, but live, And declare the works of the LORD. (Psalms 118:1, 4-6, 8-9, 17 NKJV)
My Bible reading plan took me back to the Hallel this morning, and in Psalm 118 I ran into a lot of old friends. It opens with what I’ve long believed is the Lord’s favorite song: “For the Lord is good and His mercy endureth forever.” The Old Testament saints sang versions of it from Solomon’s temple in 2 Chronicles 5:13 all the way to Jeremiah’s vision of the future temple in Jeremiah 33:11. Pick your own tune and sing it—it’ll perk you up!
Verse 5 is pretty much the short version of my life. Addicted, depressed, and hopeless, I called on the Lord. He saved me from sin, from addiction, and most importantly, from myself. I’ve truly lived in a broad place ever since.
When I was first trying to live without chemicals, I carried verse 6 around with me on a 3×5 card. Fear filled every part of my life, but that verse set me free. At first it only worked for a few minutes at a time, but it worked every single time. I must have said it out loud thousands of times, learning to put the emphasis on different words. Even today, when fear hits me, I still default to, “The Lord is on my side; I will not fear!” Try it!
Verses 8 and 9 have been good friends in dealing with life. I quickly learned that even in church I needed to love people, but only trust God. The same applies to political entities. I love my country and try hard to respect our leaders (though they often make it difficult), but my trust is in the Lord. That keeps me out of several kinds of trouble. Again, try it—it’s freeing.
Today, I especially appreciate verse 17. It is my wife’s go-to in the hardest times. It puts the emphasis on her reason for wanting to live: tell folks what the Lord has done. In many instances she has done that by making it possible for me to go and do stuff. I am forever grateful for that. We are currently walking through another test, but her heart remains the same. She will live so that the wonderful works of the Lord can be proclaimed. It’s why we’re here.
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