Psalm Meditation 1086 Second Sunday of Easter April 11, 2021 Psalm 118 1 O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his steadfast love endures forever! 2 Let Israel say, “His steadfast love endures forever.” 3 Let the house of Aaron say, “His steadfast love endures forever.” 4 Let those who fear the Lord say, “His steadfast love endures forever.” 5 Out of my distress I called on the Lord; the Lord answered me and set me in a broad place. 6 With the Lord on my side I do not fear. What can mortals do to me? 7 The Lord is on my side to help me; I shall look in triumph on those who hate me. 8 It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to put confidence in mortals. 9 It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to put confidence in princes. 10 All nations surrounded me; in the name of the Lord I cut them off! 11 They surrounded me, surrounded me on every side; in the name of the Lord I cut them off! 12 They surrounded me like bees; they blazed like a fire of thorns; in the name of the Lord I cut them off! 13 I was pushed hard, so that I was falling, but the Lord helped me. 14 The Lord is my strength and my might; he has become my salvation. 15 There are glad songs of victory 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 I shall live, and recount the deeds of the Lord. 18 The Lord has punished me severely, but he did not give me over to death. 19 Open to me the gates of righteousness, that I may enter through them and give thanks to the Lord. 20 This is the gate of the Lord; the righteous shall enter through it. 21 I thank you that you have answered me and have become my salvation. 22 The stone that the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. 23 This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. 24 This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. 25 Save us, we beseech you, O Lord! O Lord, we beseech you, give us success! 26 Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord. We bless you from the house of the Lord. 27 The Lord is God, and he has given us light. Bind the festal procession with branches, up to the horns of the altar. 28 You are my God, and I will give thanks to you; you are my God, I will extol you. 29 O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever. (NRSV) There are several good reminders in this psalm, things that we can easily take for granted because we have depended so heavily on them for so long. It is in times of stress and trial that we need this word from the psalmist. First, we are reminded of the steadfast love of God. It is for everyone to receive, appreciate, and proclaim. Second, that God is right there with us as we go through the kinds of trials in which it seems everyone has turned against us. Third, that an excellent response to the love of God is to celebrate and be thankful. It is possible to forget that much of what we take credit for in our lives is due to the steadfast love of God. It never wavers, changes, or ends. God loves us. It is a simple statement that carries so much weight. There are those who have grown up with this kind of love, and it becomes a part of them in way that it is an undercurrent in all of life that keeps them afloat whether they notice it or not. There are others for whom love is always conditional, it has to be earned on a daily basis. These are the folks who need an experience of God’s steadfast love. When trials and pressures build up those who are missing the base level of unconditional love can grow hard and cold. When someone does offer them even the possibility of love they melt into it with sobs. Any time we can be the bearers of God’s love into the lives of those in need, we will offer ourselves as pillars of loving strength in the lives of those who, otherwise, have no one to love and care for them. When we are able to give and receive the love of God as unconditional, we give all those around us a gift worth celebrating. The love of God is not something we earn, and is not something we deserve on our own merits. The love of God is a gift that we are offered, and invited to offer to others. It is a gift that is not diminished by sharing—it actually grows deeper, stronger, and wider the more we share it with those around us. Seeing that love grow in and around us leads us to join the psalmist’s celebration, “O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.” April 7, 2021 LCM