Psalm 118

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.

Have you ever dodged a bullet?

Figuratively speaking, we all have…at one time or another. It’s a strange mixture of feelings. From dread, to panic and finally exhilaration when we realize we have survived. After the dust settles it takes awhile to figure out what happened…and what it meant. Often we never figure it out.

As I was reading through today's Psalm I was having visions of war and conflict…with ultimate victory. This is not uncommon for our psalmist. But today, he implies that the whole ordeal was the Lord's doing…for the purpose of disciplining him. Look at the last verse: "The Lord has punished me severely, but he did not let me die". Why? I have no idea…and our writer doesn't even seem to be interested in why…as though this is simply one of the cycles of life.

On my way to work one morning I passed a serious accident. A car had rolled over several times and slammed into a light pole on I-25. How many times have we endured a clear threat to our very existence and never recognized it as a "come to Jesus" moment. Cancer? Car accident? Combat? And, when we survive we walk away with a sense of relief and thanksgiving…but rarely with a sense that we just endured a "smackdown" from God. I think this is primarily because we don't want to contemplate the notion that we might serve a God who is not beyond disciplining us…who will go to any lengths to get our attention.

Remember Job's friends advising him to "curse God and die?" Human response to trouble is so childish. We suffer, and then shake our fists at God…as though we don't deserve such treatment. The reality is..God could punish us severely every day of our lives and he would not exhaust "just cause." So let's get past that…just as the psalmist did.

Back up a verse to verse 17. "I will not die; instead, I will live to tell what the Lord has done". It seems the point may simply be so we have a story to tell. And in the telling of the story, our hearts gravitate back to the center of our being…God himself. What trouble are you facing today? How about using it as an opportunity to proclaim "The Lord is for me…I will not fear." Somewhere in that story you move toward God and He has gotten what He wants out of you.

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.

"This is the day that the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it." This is one of the most familiar verses in scripture. We've heard it since we were children…repeated in church nearly every Sunday. I think the ritual led me to believe this verse applied specifically to Sundays. I don't ever recall hearing it around the house on Monday. Well, when we think about it…what's so special about Monday?

Actually, what's so special about Sunday anymore? We have early service so the guys can get home to watch the NFL. We have Saturday night service so others can get up early on Sunday and go fishing…or take their family to the mountains. We've basically quit Sunday night service. You know, the kids have to get to bed because school comes early in the morning. We mow the lawn…go shopping…you get the point. Worship has just become a small event we wedge into an otherwise busy day off from work.

First, I think we might consider making Sunday a special day again. It will give us a taste of the glory and goodness of God. It may just get us rejoicing again. Then...I wonder what would happen if we opened our hearts enough to see every day as an opportunity to "enter the gates that lead to the presence of the Lord?" We would probably find ourselves rejoicing regularly.

Give thanks to the Lord for He is good! His faithful love endures forever.

Live boldly out there today...