The Lord Has...

When we praise God, when we worship Him, we ought to be taking some time to tell Him just how great He is. One reason the psalms are so powerful is because they serve as a great reminder of how great God is, often with a focus of the things He has done and continues to do for His people. The psalmists, mostly David, consistently and continually mention the great works of God in the lives of believers.

In reviewing Psalm 118 one more time, I specifically listed the ways this psalm completes the phrase “The Lord has…”

“…answered me.” David was in great peril, distressed, and he cried out to the Lord in prayer. We might not have real enemies trying to find us and physically kill us, yet we live in a fallen world, and can just as easily be distressed, and God wants to hear from us.

“…helped me.” David knew God helped him. We know it, too. But I am sure we have no real idea, that we cannot even fathom just how much is involved in God helping us. The degree to which He does so will not be realized this side of glory.

“…become my salvation.” David knew that God was the only one who could save him. Granted, David does not have justification in mind here, but to him, God was the great deliverer. God’s love for David had never changed, and by saying that God “has become” clearly implies that David had to choose to accept that deliverance, at least yield to the power that was offering such provision. Obviously, God becomes our salvation when we accept His Son.

“…disciplined me.” Not for a moment do we think David was perfect. On the contrary, we can often think we are nowhere near as bad as he was at times, and God called him a man after His own heart. David owned up to his sin, and he knew how to get right with God. And we are no different. We need to own our sin, get squared away with God, and yes, He might discipline us, too, to show us how much He still loves us.

“…not given me over to death.” Maybe it’s just me, I wonder at times why God spares my life, why He still feels the need to use me for His purposes and His plans. As David likely did, we, too, should be thanking God daily for giving us another day to serve Him. He certainly owes us nothing of the sort.

When we understand who God is, and that He consistently not only does all these things, but also much more, we should feel confident to approach Him, just as David does. “Do save.” “Do send prosperity.” Wealth and materialism are not what God had in mind for David or for us, but rather He desires our hearts. Some of His blessing may indeed be in the form of life’s pleasures, yet we must never forget He, and only He, is God. He will surely provide all we could ever need and hope for.

This psalm closes very fittingly. Is there really more to add to this?
“Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. For His lovingkindness is everlasting.