118 Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever.
2 Let Israel now say,
“His mercy endures forever.”
3 Let the house of Aaron now say,
“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?
7 The Lord is for me among those who help me;
Therefore I shall see my desire on those who hate 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.
10 All nations surrounded me,
But in the name of the Lord I will destroy them.
11 They surrounded me,
Yes, they surrounded me;
But in the name of the Lord I will destroy them.
12 They surrounded me like bees;
They were quenched like a fire of thorns;
For in the name of the Lord I will destroy them.
13 You pushed me violently, that I might fall,
But the Lord helped me.
14 The Lord is my strength and song,
And He has become my salvation.
“Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.” So begins the psalm, and so the people are called to respond—not with vague feelings, but with confident voices. Let Israel say it. Let the house of Aaron say it. Let all who fear the Lord say it. This isn’t just a call to remember God’s mercy—it’s a command to proclaim it, again and again.
The psalmist doesn’t offer a polished life or trouble-free record. Quite the opposite. He speaks of distress, of being surrounded by enemies, of feeling pushed and pressed on every side. But every moment of fear is matched with a testimony of deliverance: “I called on the Lord in distress; the Lord answered me and set me in a broad place.”
God’s mercy isn’t proven by the absence of danger. It’s seen in His faithfulness through it. When the battle closes in, when friends fall away, when strength runs low—the mercy of the Lord remains. His love is not fragile. His promises do not change with the wind. “The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” Those are not the words of pride, but of peace—peace that comes from knowing whose hand holds your life.
In the center of the psalm is a sharp contrast between trusting in man and trusting in God. Princes may rise and fall. Human strength may shine for a while, but it burns out fast. The name of the Lord endures. And in His name, the psalmist found courage to stand, to speak, and to sing: “The Lord is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation.”
This is not just history. This is your story, too. The same God who delivered the psalmist delivers you. The same mercy that carried Israel through battle and exile and return now holds you in Christ. He has heard your cries. He has answered. And His mercy endures—not for a moment, not for a season, but forever.
Let us pray: Gracious Lord, teach us to trust You more than ourselves and to thank You not only in peace but also in battle—for Your mercy endures forever. Amen.
Each Day in the Word, Saturday, May 17, 2025 Psalm 118:1-14 NKJV
“Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.” So begins the psalm, and so the people are called to respond—not with vague feelings, but with confident voices. Let Israel say it. Let the house of Aaron say it. Let all who fear the Lord say it. This isn’t just a call to remember God’s mercy—it’s a command to proclaim it, again and again.
The psalmist doesn’t offer a polished life or trouble-free record. Quite the opposite. He speaks of distress, of being surrounded by enemies, of feeling pushed and pressed on every side. But every moment of fear is matched with a testimony of deliverance: “I called on the Lord in distress; the Lord answered me and set me in a broad place.”
God’s mercy isn’t proven by the absence of danger. It’s seen in His faithfulness through it. When the battle closes in, when friends fall away, when strength runs low—the mercy of the Lord remains. His love is not fragile. His promises do not change with the wind. “The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” Those are not the words of pride, but of peace—peace that comes from knowing whose hand holds your life.
In the center of the psalm is a sharp contrast between trusting in man and trusting in God. Princes may rise and fall. Human strength may shine for a while, but it burns out fast. The name of the Lord endures. And in His name, the psalmist found courage to stand, to speak, and to sing: “The Lord is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation.”
This is not just history. This is your story, too. The same God who delivered the psalmist delivers you. The same mercy that carried Israel through battle and exile and return now holds you in Christ. He has heard your cries. He has answered. And His mercy endures—not for a moment, not for a season, but forever.
Let us pray: Gracious Lord, teach us to trust You more than ourselves and to thank You not only in peace but also in battle—for Your mercy endures forever. Amen.