Let us praise God for his mercy endures forever. Psalm 118
Multiple reasons should lead us to permanently praise our God, since his mercies never cease and are always present in our lives. When we wake up every morning, the first thing that covers us are the mercies of God. Compassion, kindness and grace are words that sum up God's immense mercy to his creation. God is a most gracious being, who shelters and protects the house of all his children, who fear his name and render him continual praise. The composer of Psalm 118 wrote:
Praise the LORD, for he is good;
For his mercy endures forever.
2 Let Israel now say,
For his mercy endures forever.
3 Let the house of Aaron now say,
For his steadfast love endures forever.
4 Let those who fear the LORD now say, For his steadfast love endures forever.
For his steadfast love endures forever. Psalm 118: 1-4
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God's mercies are so abundant that they are always present to show us his salvation. In days of distress if we call upon the name of the Lord, he will come to deliver us from the enemy. God is always present surrounding his children, in such a sense we do not have to fear our enemies, but trust in the mercies of God that bring us salvation. We must fully trust that God is with us, so we should not fear anything that evil and wicked man can do to us, because God is with us to show us his mercy and love. In this Psalm 118 the author encourages us by saying:
In the midst of trouble I called upon the LORD,
and the LORD answered me, and set me in a large place.
6 The LORD is with me; I will not fear
what man can do to me.
7 The LORD is with me among those who help me;
Therefore I will see my desire in those who hate me.
8 It is better to trust in the LORD
than to trust in man.
9 It is better to trust in the LORD
than to trust in princes.
10 All the nations have surrounded me;
but in the name of the LORD I will destroy them.
11 They have surrounded me and besieged me
But in the name of the LORD I will destroy them. Psalm 118: 5-11
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God is our reason for continual song and praise, for he is our strength and salvation. With a voice of rejoicing we should gather together and shout with joy the manifold mercies of God toward us. There is a voice of rejoicing and salvation among God's people in thanksgiving for his goodness to each one of us. God's mighty right hand is on our behalf and gives us courage. God fights our battles because his grace never ceases to be. In God there is always life to sing in a perpetual way his favor that he has had with us and his mighty work in our lives. The psalmist expressed it this way:
My strength and my song is the Lord,
and he is my salvation.
15 The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tents of the righteous;
The right hand of the LORD performs mighty acts.
16 The right hand of the LORD is exalted;
The right hand of the LORD performs mighty acts.
17 I shall not die, but live
and I will declare the works of the LORD. Psalm 118: 14-17
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Although God's mercies are many, he does not cease to correct his people, for whom God loves, he also disciplines. When we act badly before the Lord, he can correct us so that we change our conduct and behavior. We may not understand the Lord's correction at first, but the truth is that he will give us a good teaching that we will never forget. When we learn from the Lord's correction, then the gates of righteousness are opened for the children of God and through them we enter happily in praise to the mighty God. In this brilliant composition of Psalm 118 we find this affirmation:
I have been severely punished by the Lord,
but he has not given me over to death.
19 Open to me the gates of righteousness;
I will enter through them, I will praise the LORD.
20 This is the gate of the LORD;
By it the righteous shall enter. Psalm 118: 17-20
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In a glorious and majestic way the author of Psalm 118 concludes by saying:
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD;
From the house of the LORD we bless you.
27 The LORD is God and has given us light;
Bind the victims with cords to the horns of the altar.
28 Thou art my God, and I will praise thee.
My God, I will exalt thee.
29 Praise the LORD, for he is good;
for his love endures forever. Psalm 118: 26-29
We know that Jesus Christ is the blessed of God the Father, although the people of Israel rejected the Messiah, the mercies of God covered all humanity with the coming of the Son of God to earth. All this has been a cause for song and joyful praise. Today we bless the Son of God for his love and salvation for all mankind on earth. Today Christ is the light that illumines the world; whoever comes to him also comes to the Father and has eternal life. There are many reasons why we should praise God, because his mercy is eternal and in Christ he has given us the hope of eternal life and salvation.
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