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Message Series: Unending Joy… What Gratitude Looks like in 2020
Theme Verse & Main Idea
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” —Romans 15:13 (NIV)
The Main Idea: We can thank God for his faithfulness in difficult times.
A Thanksgiving Sandwich in Psalm 118
Psalm 118 begins and ends with an identical verse: “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.”
The “Meat” of the Sandwich is all About Joy:** “Shouts of joy and victory resound in the tents of the righteous: ‘The Lord’s right hand has done mighty things!’”
Psalm 118 is a perfect example of how someone is able to praise God despite all the difficulties that they’ve faced in life.
His Love Endures Forever (vv. 1-4)
The Psalm begins with repetition about the enduring love of God.
1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. 2 Let Israel say: “His love endures forever.” 3 Let the house of Aaron say: “His love endures forever.” 4 Let those who fear the Lord say: “His love endures forever.” —Psalm 118:1-4 (NIV)
Forever— Exactly what it means… unending, never-ceasing, everlasting. God’s love is present in every situation, good or bad.
Hard Times (vv. 5-13)
It’s easy to feel the love of God when things are going well, but it’s difficult to feel it in times of sorrow. The Psalmist shares about a particularly difficult time in his life:
5 When hard pressed, I cried to the Lord; he brought me into a spacious place. 6 The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me? 7 The Lord is with me; he is my helper. I look in triumph on my enemies. —Psalm 118:5-7 (NIV)
Hard Pressed: From a family of words that means distress, to tie up / be restricted, enemies, persecution, etc.
What Can Mortals Do To Me? We know that people can have an immense impact on us, but with the right perspective and the passage of time, that persecution pales in comparison to the blessings we have in Jesus.
“I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18).
8 It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in humans. 9 It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes. —Psalm 118:8-9 (NIV)
There’s not a single human being alive that has the power or ability to solve all your problems. God alone is worthy of our trust.
10 All the nations surrounded me, but in the name of the Lord I cut them down. 11 They surrounded me on every side, but in the name of the Lord I cut them down. 12 They swarmed around me like bees, but they were consumed as quickly as burning thorns; in the name of the Lord I cut them down. —Psalm 118:10-12 (NIV)
13 I was pushed back and about to fall, but the Lord helped me. 14 The Lord is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation. —Psalm 118:13-14 (NIV)
Paul’s Hardships
This Psalm is similar to Paul’s experience in 2 Corinthians 1:8-11:
“We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death… …But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us again. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many.” —2 Corinthians 1:8-11 (NIV)
Paul was under great pressure, but was saved by God. That allowed Paul to put his hope in God alone, and led others to praise God.
Shouts of Joy?
The Psalmist is describing a truly difficult moment in his life:
- Hard Pressed
- Surrounded by Enemies
- Pushed Back & About to Fall
Why was he able to be so joyful in the midst of these trials?
- Brough to an Open Space
- Given Victory by God
- Helped by God in his time of need.
God was faithful to his people in the right way at the right time. The story doesn’t end in darkness.
Waiting on God
The Psalmist didn’t write this on the day he was hard pressed, surrounded, and about to fall. It’s highly unlikely that he was shouting for joy while he was on death’s door.
The passage of time gave the Psalmist the right perspective and the ability to see God’s faithfulness in the struggle.
The average time a person waits at a red light in their life: four
Why is waiting for God to show up so difficult? We want to rush through the dark times and arrive at “happily ever after.”
My soul is in deep anguish. How long, Lord, how long?—Psalm 6:3 (NIV)
Some things can’t be rushed:
You can bake a Thanksgiving turkey at 350 degrees for 4 hours, but you can’t bake it at 700 degrees for 2 hours. And you’ll burn the house down trying to go 1400 degrees for one hour.
1 I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. 2 He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. 3 He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear the Lord and put their trust in him. —Psalm 40:1-3 (NIV)
Thanksgiving (vv. 21-24, 28-29)
With the passage of time, the Psalmist is able to give thanks to God:
21 I will give you thanks, for you answered me; you have become my salvation. 22 The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; 23 the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes. 24 The Lord has done it this very day; let us rejoice today and be glad. —Psalm 118:21-24 (NIV)
God can use
28 You are my God, and I will praise you; you are my God, and I will exalt you.
29 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. —Psalm 118:28-29 (NIV)
This Week:
Give God thanks for the unexpected blessings.
Give God time to fulfill his promises.
Response:
Tap here to Respond to today’s message
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Questions? Contact Bryan: (609) 356-3147 or bfojtasek@westsidelife.org.
Life Group / Reflection Questions
Icebreaker: What is one of your favorite Thanksgiving traditions? How are you changing or adapting it for this year, if at all?
- Our theme verse for this message series is Romans 15:13. Read that verse together as a group. How have you felt joy, peace, or hope this past week?
- God’s love endures forever (as it says in this Psalm), but we still face significant difficulties in our lives. How can we reconcile the fact that God loves us with the reality of our trials?
- Psalm 118:8-9 encourages us to trust in God instead of people… even the most powerful and trustworthy people (like princes). How can we learn to trust God instead of physical things in our lives?
- The Psalmist describes being distressed, surrounded, and pushed back. Do you think that’s a good description of how 2020 has gone for your family? Why or why not?
- Bryan talked about burning a turkey in our desire to rush through the process and arrive at the result we want. Why is it so hard to wait for God to act on his schedule?
- Do you think we sometimes hold God to an unfair standard of feeling like he has to operate on our schedule in order for us to be satisfied with him?
- Bryan talked about not burning a turkey— not rushing ourselves or others through the grieving process. Read Psalm 25:20 and talk about why it’s important to give people the time and space to work through their grief on their own schedule.
- Happiness is an emotion that relies on the highs and lows of day-to-day living. This Psalm points us to joy—something that endures forever. How might our unending joy give us the patience we need to wait for God to act?
- What are some of the unexpected blessings that you’ve seen some as a result of this year? What are some of the good things we can focus on despite all the challenges we’ve faced this year?