September Theme: Hope and Joy | Verse: Psalm 118:24

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 ^a]”>[a]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.

¹⁵ The voice of rejoicing and salvation
Is in the tents of the righteous;
The right hand of the Lord does valiantly.
¹⁶ The right hand of the Lord is exalted;
The right hand of the Lord does valiantly.
¹⁷ I shall not die, but live,
And declare the works of the Lord.
¹⁸ The Lord has chastened^b]”>[b] me severely,
But He has not given me over to death.

¹⁹ Open to me the gates of righteousness;
I will go through them,
And I will praise the Lord.
²⁰ This is the gate of the Lord,
Through which the righteous shall enter.

²¹ I will praise You,
For You have answered me,
And have become my salvation.

²² The stone which the builders rejected
Has become the chief cornerstone.
²³ This was the Lord’s doing;
It is marvelous in our eyes.
²⁴ This is the day the Lord has made;
We will rejoice and be glad in it.

²⁵ Save now, I pray, O Lord;
O Lord, I pray, send now prosperity.
²⁶ Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!
We have blessed you from the house of the Lord.
²⁷ God is the Lord,
And He has given us light;
Bind the sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar.
²⁸ You are my God, and I will praise You;
You are my God, I will exalt You.

²⁹ Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever.

Author of Psalm 118: Anonymous

Background: Psalm 118 is the last of the Great Hallel psalms and was sung following the Passover meal. Nearly a century after the return of the Jewish people to Palestine, Nehemiah engineered the reconstruction of the walls around Jerusalem in 52 days! We believe this psalm, which was sung by our Lord and His apostles (see below), was written commemorating this joyous occasion.

Theme: The eternal merciful nature of God inspires thanksgiving and trust. To those who confidently call upon Him in times of distress, He will valiantly deliver.

Psalm 118 Quoted in the New Testament: Verse 6 is quoted in Hebrews 13:6 by the author of Hebrews in his instructions to the Jewish people regarding godly living. Verse 22 is quoted by Jesus (Matthew 21:42; Mark 12:10-11; and Luke 20:17) and by Peter (Acts 4:11 and 1 Peter 2:7) referring to the rejection of Jesus by Jewish leaders. Verse 26 is quoted in Matthew 21:9; 23:39; Mark 11:9; Luke 13:35; 19:38; and John 12:13 referring to Jesus as the Messiah.

Personal Application: Christians experience varying levels of trials while walking with Jesus and are frequently challenged to exercise faith. Whatever situation you are experiencing right now, have faith that God is able to deliver you. Read Psalm 118 many times and think about the great trial Jesus faced as He prepared to die on the cross. Be courageous and joyful knowing full well that the same God who resurrected Jesus is also working on your behalf!