Unlike Psalm 117, in which all the nations are gathered together praising God, in Psalm 118 all the nations are gathered together in opposition of the psalmist, like a swarm of angry bees and like a fire sweeping through dry bramble. In the midst of this opposition, the psalmist turns to the Lord for refuge. In verse 14, he quotes Exodus 15:2, a line from the song of the Israelites when the Lord had brought them out of Egypt, through the Red Sea, and out of reach of their enemies: “The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.”
Lord, we are painfully aware that the days of no-more-tears and no-more-war is still a future reality. As we continue to face the hardships of life in this fallen world, we pray: let us remember the songs of old, which fill our hearts with hope again. These songs remind us of how you came through for your people in the past, and give us hope that you will do the same for us. These songs remind us that your rescue of your people from Egypt is not only an actual historical event, but also a symbol of hope pointing forward to an even greater rescue: Christ’s rescue of all his people from sin and death.
Lord, we rejoice that our salvation has been accomplished by Christ on the cross, and even now we enjoy the firstfruits of our salvation: the forgiveness of our sins and reconciliation with you. How sweet it is to know your love for us, and to know that nothing in all creation will be able to separate us from your love.
Lord, we’re longing for the rest of your promises to come to fruition. Deliver us from our enemies. Deliver us from death and grant us life eternal. Deliver us from fear and grant us everlasting peace. Deliver us from all strife and grant us endless joy. Deliver us from all opposition and surround us with loving neighbors forever and ever. Amen and amen, we look to you, Lord Jesus, for the provision of our prayers.
