Read Psalm 118
1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
his love endures forever.
2 Let Israel say:
“His love endures forever.”
3 Let the house of Aaron say:
“His love endures forever.”
4 Let those who fear the Lord say:
“His love endures forever.”
5 When hard pressed, I cried to the Lord;
he brought me into a spacious place.
6 The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid.
What can mere mortals do to me?
7 The Lord is with me; he is my helper.
I look in triumph on my enemies.
8 It is better to take refuge in the Lord
than to trust in humans.
9 It is better to take refuge in the Lord
than to trust in princes.
10 All the nations surrounded me,
but in the name of the Lord I cut them down.
11 They surrounded me on every side,
but in the name of the Lord I cut them down.
12 They swarmed around me like bees,
but they were consumed as quickly as burning thorns;
in the name of the Lord I cut them down.
13 I was pushed back and about to fall,
but the Lord helped me.
14 The Lord is my strength and my defense;
he has become my salvation.
15 Shouts of joy and victory
resound in the tents of the righteous:
“The Lord’s right hand has done mighty things!
16 The Lord’s right hand is lifted high;
the Lord’s right hand has done mighty things!”
17 I will not die but live,
and will proclaim what the Lord has done.
18 The Lord has chastened me severely,
but he has not given me over to death.
19 Open for me the gates of the righteous;
I will enter and give thanks to the Lord.
20 This is the gate of the Lord
through which the righteous may enter.
21 I will give you thanks, for you answered me;
you have become my salvation.
22 The stone the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
23 the Lord has done this,
and it is marvelous in our eyes.
24 The Lord has done it this very day;
let us rejoice today and be glad.
25 Lord, save us!
Lord, grant us success!
26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
From the house of the Lord we bless you.
27 The Lord is God,
and he has made his light shine on us.
With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession
up to the horns of 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 love endures forever.
Go Deeper
We often look to anything and everything around us to find a sense of security. We look to our jobs, the amount of money in our bank account, the items we own, the relationships we’re in or want to be in, or our own abilities to determine how secure we feel. Psalm 118 speaks of God’s character and causes us to reexamine the source of our security.
David reminds us that attempting to find security in earthly things will only disappoint us (v. 8-9). We are told throughout Scripture that this earth and everything in it will fade away (Isaiah 40:8, Matt. 24:35, Hebrews 13:14). We can count on that.
We can also count on the promise God has given us – the promise of Himself. Because He is with us, we do not have to be afraid (v. 6). We are reminded throughout this chapter that, “His love endures forever.” His love will not fade like the things of this earth. From generation to generation we can count on His love toward us. God is our helper, and He alone is our strength (v. 7, 14). He is good (v. 1), so we can trust that what He does is good, even when we do not understand. In His goodness and love, He has secured our salvation by becoming the One who saves us. His promise is not simply to rescue us from our current, temporary situations, but to give us eternal security through Jesus Christ. Jesus is the cornerstone of our salvation, the One on whom our faith rests (Psalm 118:22, Ephesians 2:20, 1 Peter 2:4). Our only true and lasting security lies in the enduring love of our Father and the plan He has laid out since before the beginning of creation to bring us salvation.
We can walk in confidence today because we know that this life is only temporary, and our security lies in the One whose promise is unfailing. When we feel overwhelmed by life’s circumstances, may we look up and remember God’s enduring love and give thanks because of his goodness. We praise Him because His love endures forever.
Questions
- What are you looking to for security instead of resting in God’s promise?
- How have you seen God’s enduring love on display in your life or the lives of those around you?
- What can you thank God for today?
Keep Digging
Psalm 118 is the last of the “Egyptian Hallel” psalms that were sung during Hebrew festivals to praise God for His ability to save. These psalms were likely what Jesus and the disciples sang during the Last Supper (Matt. 26:30). You can read more about it here!
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6 thoughts on “Psalms of Thanksgiving: Psalm 118”
HESED love= His mercies endure FOREVER
There is not being or end of that mercy. That is what Hesed love is enduring mercy. “The word endureth has been properly supplied by the translators, but yet it somewhat restricts the sense, which will be better seen if we read it, ‘for his mercy for ever.’ That mercy had no beginning, and shall never know an end.” (Spurgeon)
vs 1 Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever.
Oh is emphatic. Do it now, do not wait, shout it out, lift it up, Oh!!!!!!!!!!! give thanks to the LORD for He is good!!!
God You are good, so so good, WOOHOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Your mercies have no beginning or end, I am so grateful thankful and blessed. It is amazing to think of my Savior singing this very psalm the day before He was to be cruicified and what was He thinking/feeling? Thank You for that Hesed love that endures, ever faithful, ever merciful, everlasting that You gave to Him and to me. Thank You for my head space being filled with giving You thanks and knowing Your love and mercy endures in all the minutes of my day and forever in Jesus name amen
WOOHOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Today I’m thanking God for 44 years of marriage where we have experienced the enduring love of the Father to 2 imperfect people. Although we’ve bumbled, fumbled and stumbled along the way, he has continued to love us perfectly although we did nothing to deserve it. To God alone be the glory!
Beautiful! It is our anniversary (38) today as well!
Happy 38th!
“his love ENDURES forever.”
I have always been fascinated by the frequent use of the term “endures” to describe God’s love for us. That speaks volumes to me. Wow!
Trust in God.
Give thanks.
Confess sins.
Rejoice in the presence.
The goodness and sovereignty of God.