What makes Psalm 118 so powerful is its context. This was a song written for and often sung at Israel’s great feast days including Passover and the high holy days. It was likely on the lips of the crowd when Jesus entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday and possibly sung again in the Upper Room after He celebrated the Passover and instituted the first communion with His disciples (Matthew 26:30). Knowing what was coming, the betrayal, the arrest, the cross and the resurrection, I find myself wondering what was going through Jesus’ mind as He sang those words.

Psalm 118:1 (CSB) ¹ Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his faithful love endures forever. … ⁶ The Lord is for me; I will not be afraid. What can a mere mortal do to me?

When life isn’t going the way we hoped, it can be tempting to doubt God’s goodness, The possibilities for the future can terrify us. But things not going our way does not mean God is no longer good or that His love has grown cold. His plan for us is best, just as it was best for Jesus to go to the cross for our sins. In the garden, Jesus was gripped by the weight of what was coming, yet He trusted His Father and walked willingly into it. Mere mortals did not take the life of King Jesus. He gave it.

“Not my will, but yours be done.” Luke 22:42

We can be terrified when we look through the windshield of life and yet remain steadfast in our trust in the goodness of God. Being unafraid doesn’t mean that things will always go the way we hope. It means we can trust that God’s faithful love endures forever. HE IS FOR YOU.

An old sermon outline comes to mind:

• God is all-loving, therefore He wants what is best for us.
• God is all-knowing, therefore He knows what is best for us.
• God is all-powerful, therefore He can bring about what is best for us.

Be encouraged. Whatever we are tempted to fear is temporary. God is for you, and His faithful love endures forever.

Dan