“The Lord is on my side; He will help me” – Psalm 118

Oh, thank the Lord, for He’s so good! His lovingkindness is forever.

In my distress I prayed to the Lord and He answered me and rescued me. He is for me! How can I be afraid? What can mere man do to me? The Lord is on my side; He will help me. Let those who hate me beware.

It is better to trust the Lord than to put confidence in men. It is better to take refuge in Him than in the mightiest king!

This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it. O Lord, please help us. Save us. Give us success.

(Psalm 118:1, 5-8, 24-25 – The Living Bible)

Pilots put confidence in their planes. Commuters place confidence in trains, cars, or buses. Each day we must put our confidence in something or someone. If you are willing to trust a plane or car to get you to your destination, are you willing to trust God to guide you here on earth and to your eternal destination? Do you trust Him more than any human being? If not, why not?

There are days when the last thing we want to do is rejoice. Our mood is down, our situation is out of hand, our sorrow or guilt is overwhelming. We can relate to the writers of the psalms who often felt this way.

But no matter how low the psalmists got, they were always honest with God about how they felt. And as they talked to God, their prayers ended in praise. When you don’t feel like rejoicing, tell God how you truly feel. You will find that God will give you a reason to rejoice.

(from the Life Application Bible – Living Bible edition)