The Lord Is For You
Do you feel distressed and anxious? If so, Psalm 118 offers five words of comfort you should repeat to yourself: “The Lord is for me.”
Psalm 116-118
Today's Scripture Passage
A Few Thoughts to Consider
Do you feel distressed and anxious?
If so, Psalm 118 offers five words of comfort you should repeat to yourself: “The Lord is for me.” Psalm 118 is a song of thanksgiving and praise, celebrating God's enduring love and faithfulness. The psalmist recounts how he called upon the Lord in times of distress and was delivered from his enemies.
Emphasizing that it is better to trust in God than to rely on human strength, the psalm highlights God's role as a protector and savior. J.A. Motyer notes, “Its overall movement is a procession up to the temple gates (19), then through the gates to the altar (27).”[1] “Like Psalm 116, it is a thanksgiving and testimony psalm. It involves the whole congregation, but it particularly involves the voice of an ‘I,’ someone such as the king, a leader such as Nehemiah in a period when Israel didn’t have kings, or a worship leader.”[2] In verses 5-9, the psalmist says,
5 I called to the Lord in distress;
the Lord answered me
and put me in a spacious place.
6 The Lord is for me; I will not be afraid.
What can a mere mortal do to me?
7 The Lord is my helper;
therefore, I will look in triumph on those who hate me.
8 It is better to take refuge in the Lord
than to trust in humanity.
9 It is better to take refuge in the Lord
than to trust in nobles.
Despite his challenges, the psalmist realizes he has no reason to fear. The Lord is with him, and that is enough. His refuge is in God, his strength is in God, his salvation is in God, and his hope is in God.
