Psalm 118 - Facing Struggles with People

May 23, 2021

Randy Hageman

Music has great power to shape us and speak directly to our hearts, and it’s always been used to grow our relationship with

.

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. —Colossians 3:16 (ESV)

psalm – to

It’s common to refer to an unknown writer in the Psalms as the

.

This Psalm can speak to us when we’re

a person or persons who are opposed to us, who are working against us, who are trying to make our lives hard.

Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
for his steadfast love endures forever!
Let Israel say,
‘His steadfast love endures forever.’
Let the house of Aaron say,
‘His steadfast love endures forever.’
Let those who fear the LORD say,
‘His steadfast love endures forever.’ —Psalms 118:1-4 (ESV)

These first four verses were intended to make clear that all of the various groups in Israel, God’s people of the Old Testament, were to

Him, regardless of the circumstances.

Three Things We Need To Remember As We Face Difficult People:

1. God is “

.”

2. God’s “steadfast love endures

Reveal Answer

.”

3. We need to continually proclaim this and

this in our lives, because the world around us will tell us otherwise.

Out of my distress I called on the LORD;
the LORD answered me and set me free. —Psalms 118:5 (ESV)

Verses 10-12 give us a

picture of the kind of “distress” the psalmist faced.

All nations surrounded me;
in the name of the LORD I cut them off!
They surrounded me, surrounded me on every side;
in the name of the LORD I cut them off!”
They surrounded me like bees;
they went out like a fire among thorns;
in the name of the LORD I cut them off! —Psalms 118:10-12 (ESV)

The psalmist tells us he is “surrounded” by those who are working

him.

In a time of “distress,” the psalmist said he “called on the LORD,” and God “answered,” and by depending on and claiming

help, the psalmist says he “cut them off” from affecting his soul.

Our struggles are seldom one-time moments, and so we have to

claiming that with God’s help, “in the name of the LORD,” we can “cut them off” from beating down our emotions and soul.

We need the

reinforcement of knowing who God is and what He can do.

We need the community of faith around us, to speak and sing these words over us when we can’t do it ourselves, to remind us and help us

them in our lives.

The LORD is on my side; I will not fear.
What can man do to me?
The LORD is on my side as my helper;
I shall look in triumph on those who hate me. —Psalms 118:6-7 (ESV)

The psalmist says twice, “The LORD is on my side,” affirming God is his “helper,” so he will choose to “not fear” whatever he’s facing, even “those who hate me,” because he believes the LORD God will enable him to “

.”

When the servant of the man of God [Elisha] rose early in the morning and went out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was all around the city. And the servant said, ‘Alas, my master! What shall we do?’ He said, ‘Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.’ Then Elisha prayed and said, ‘O LORD, please open his eyes that he may see.’ So the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. —2 Kings 6:15-17 (ESV)

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? —Romans 8:31 (ESV)

Following Christ doesn’t

protect us from every wrong or hurt or struggle or mean people.

What the psalmist is saying is that, compared to the Lord God, who is on

side, does it really matter who is against us?

The follower of Jesus is not defined by what happens in this

.

We have

on our side, and He offers us a peace that passes all understanding, no matter who we’re facing.

He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?… No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. —Romans 8:32-39 (ESV)

We’re tempted to try to face down and deal with these things ourselves, but the psalmist encourages us to

on God.

It is better to take refuge in the LORD
than to trust in man.
It is better to take refuge in the LORD
than to trust in princes. —Psalms 118:8-9 (ESV)

This is the day that the LORD has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it. —Psalms 118:24 (ESV)

No matter who or what you are facing, God has given you the gift of

, and you can choose to suffer in your struggles, or you can trust in the Lord and give Him thanks!

Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
for his steadfast love endures forever! —Psalms 118:29 (ESV)

Next Week: Psalms 23 & 89 – Overcoming Adversity