Read
The Lord Is Always Merciful
1 Tell the Lord
how thankful you are,
because he is kind
and always merciful.
2Let Israel shout,
“God is always merciful!”
3Let the family of Aaron
the priest shout,
“God is always merciful!”
4Let every true worshiper
of the Lord shout,
“God is always merciful!”
5When I was really hurting,
I prayed to the Lord.
He answered my prayer,
and took my worries away.
6 The Lord is on my side,
and I am not afraid
of what others can do to me.
7With the Lord on my side,
I will defeat
my hateful enemies.
8It is better to trust the Lord
for protection
than to trust anyone else,
9including strong leaders.
10Nations surrounded me,
but I got rid of them
by the power of the Lord.
11They attacked from all sides,
but I got rid of them
by the power of the Lord.
12They swarmed around like bees,
but by the power of the Lord,
I got rid of them
and their fiery sting.
13Their attacks were so fierce
that I nearly fell,
but the Lord helped me.
14 My power and my strength
come from the Lord,
and he has saved me.
15From the tents of God's people
come shouts of victory:
“The Lord is powerful!
16With his mighty arm
the Lord wins victories!
The Lord is powerful!”
17And so my life is safe,
and I will live to tell
what the Lord has done.
18He punished me terribly,
but he did not let death
lay its hands on me.
19Open the gates of justice!
I will enter and tell the Lord
how thankful I am.
20Here is the gate of the Lord!
Everyone who does right
may enter this gate.
21I praise the Lord
for answering my prayers
and saving me.
22 The stone that the builders
tossed aside
has now become
the most important stone.
23The Lord has done this,
and it is amazing to us.
24This day belongs to the Lord!
Let's celebrate
and be glad today.
25 We'll ask the Lord to save us!
We'll sincerely ask the Lord
to let us win.
26 God bless the one who comes
in the name of the Lord!
We praise you from here
in the house of the Lord.
27The Lord is our God,
and he has given us light!
Start the celebration!
March with palm branches
all the way to the altar.
28The Lord is my God!
I will praise him and tell him
how thankful I am.
29Tell the Lord
how thankful you are,
because he is kind
and always merciful.
Reflect
“Confidence properly placed.” That’s a great definition of humility. In Psalm 118 David’s humility is inspiring. It is a picture of a man not bowed down to the ground like a worm, but leaping into the air, rejoicing before the altar of God. We can almost see him dancing through the streets of Jerusalem as he cries out for all of Israel to acknowledge that God’s love endures forever while he acknowledges that it was God who has given him the victory over his enemies.
David revels in the knowledge that God has saved him, blessed him, given him a secure place in which to put his confidence and trust. Perhaps it is because he has accepted God’s chastening that David’s joy is so powerful. He knows he is not a perfect man, but he is a man God has deigned to use and bless in spite of his failures and weaknesses.
David was just a man but he was a man who chose to repent, who acknowledged the sovereignty of God and bowed down before his grace and mercy. He asked that the “gates of righteousness” be opened to him, then placed himself at the feet of his God and raised his voice in praise and thanksgiving.
That’s humility that leads to an outpouring of love. That’s confidence that leads to victory in Christ. That’s an example for us all to follow.
Respond
Thank you, Heavenly Father, that we can come humbly before you in confidence because of what Christ has done for us. Clothed in his righteousness we can come before you boldly with praise and thanksgiving on our lips.
Marcia Lee Laycock
Marcia Lee Laycock is an award-winning writer and sought-after speaker. Having lived a few kilometers from the Arctic Circle, and two degrees off the Equator, her writing draws from a rich field of experiences. Marcia was the winner of the Best New Canadian Christian Author Award for her novel, One Smooth Stone, and she now has four devotional books and a fantasy series in print, which have also garnered awards. Marcia lives in central Alberta with her pastor husband. They have three grown daughters and two huge Great Dane grand-puppies.