JOIN THE JOYFUL PROCESSION
Opening Prayer
Thank you, gracious Father, for this Sunday. Thank you that, because of your Word, I can worship you in spirit and truth.
Read PSALM 118
Psalm 118
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.”
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.
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.
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.
13 I was pushed back and about to fall,
but the Lord helped me.
14 The Lord is my strength and my defense[a];
he has become my salvation.
15 Shouts of joy and victory
resound in the tents of the righteous:
“The Lord’s right hand has done mighty things!
16 The Lord’s right hand is lifted high;
the Lord’s right hand has done mighty things!”
17 I will not die but live,
and will proclaim what the Lord has done.
18 The Lord has chastened me severely,
but he has not given me over to death.
19 Open for me the gates of the righteous;
I will enter and give thanks to the Lord.
20 This is the gate of the Lord
through which the righteous may enter.
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.
25 Lord, save us!
Lord, grant us success!
26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
From the house of the Lord we bless you.[b]
27 The Lord is God,
and he has made his light shine on us.
With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession
up[c] to the horns of the altar.
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.
Footnotes
- Psalm 118:14 Or song
- Psalm 118:26 The Hebrew is plural.
- Psalm 118:27 Or Bind the festal sacrifice with ropes / and take it
New International Version (NIV)Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
On the first Palm Sunday, the crowds sang Psalm 118:26 in praise to Jesus. One day we will sing it again as he returns in glory!When we feel great joy, we often express it physically. Football supporters hug one another and jump up and down when a goal is scored. Audiences stand, clap, and stamp their feet after an excellent performance. In some countries drivers toot their horns whenever they pass a wedding. And in Israel, people celebrated by waving palm branches.
Some church traditions have lost this physical expression of praise, preferring to be more ‘decorous.’ The nineteenth-century preacher H. Spurgeon bemoaned this ‘excessive propriety.’* To him, ‘a little sacred excess’ seemed a more appropriate response to the kinds of things we see listed in this psalm: God’s presence, his help, his deliverance, his victory, his salvation and, of course, his enduring love. This love marks God out from all other rulers and idols. In love he created us. In his love he sent his Son to die for us (John 3:16). In love he abides with us, disciplines us, strengthens us, and helps us. His love never fails (1 Corinthians 13:8).
Whatever is happening in your life, you can be assured that God’s love for you endures forever.
Apply
We have so much to thank God for. Use this psalm to inspire you to list some of the ways he has helped you, blessed you, and sustained you. And when you feel the joy welling up, let it show!
Closing prayer
It is with gratitude I come before you, Lord God. Help me so that my thanksgiving overflows in ways that show others your love and faithfulness.
*Charles H. Spurgeon, Spurgeon on the Psalms (Destiny Image Publishers, 2015)
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