Psalm 118:14-29 (NRSV)
Read Psalm 118:14-29 on biblegateway.com
Verse 14The Lord is my strength and my might; he has become my salvation.
Verse 15There are glad songs of victory in the tents of the righteous: "The right hand of the Lord does valiantly;
Verse 16the right hand of the Lord is exalted; the right hand of the Lord does valiantly."
Verse 17I shall not die, but I shall live, and recount the deeds of the Lord.
Verse 18The Lord has punished me severely, but he did not give me over to death.
Verse 19Open to me the gates of righteousness, that I may enter through them and give thanks to the Lord.
Verse 20This is the gate of the Lord; the righteous shall enter through it.
Verse 21I thank you that you have answered me and have become my salvation.
Verse 22The stone that the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone.
Verse 23This is the Lord's doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.
Verse 24This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Verse 25Save us, we beseech you, O Lord! O Lord, we beseech you, give us success!
Verse 26Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord. We bless you from the house of the Lord.
Verse 27The Lord is God, and he has given us light. Bind the festal procession with branches, up to the horns of the altar.
Verse 28You are my God, and I will give thanks to you; you are my God, I will extol you.
Verse 29O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.
Devotion
This psalm is a great example of the value of journaling our thoughts and feelings. Initially, the psalmist believes the Lord is his strength, his defense, and even becomes his “salvation”. He knows he should be thankful for answered prayers, yet he doubts God. He even believes God has punished him. So he begins to bargain with God. If you will “open to me the gates of the righteous,” I will be righteous and “give thanks to the Lord.”
However, when he encounters God’s truth—“The Lord is God, and he has given us light”—he sees that God is both good and faithful. This divine revelation lies beyond his physical senses, deep within his soul.
So it is with us. By sharing our mixed thoughts and feelings with God, we can find clarity, restored faith, and assurance of God’s enduring love. Then we can “rejoice and be glad” for “this is the day that the Lord has made.”
Prayer
Lord, thank you for guiding us out of unbelief, for answered prayers, for your “steadfast love” and the gift of joy. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
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