This is the day the Lord
has made; let us be glad and rejoice in it.
1 O
give thanks to the Lord, for
he is good;
his steadfast love endures forever!
his steadfast love endures forever!
5 Out
of my distress I called on the Lord;
the Lord answered me and set me in a broad place.
6 With the Lord on my side I do not fear.
What can mortals do to me?
the Lord answered me and set me in a broad place.
6 With the Lord on my side I do not fear.
What can mortals do to me?
10 All
nations surrounded me;
in the name of the Lord I cut them off!
11 They surrounded me, surrounded me on every side;
in the name of the Lord I cut them off!
12a They surrounded me like bees;
14 The Lord is my strength and my might;
he has become my salvation.
in the name of the Lord I cut them off!
11 They surrounded me, surrounded me on every side;
in the name of the Lord I cut them off!
12a They surrounded me like bees;
14 The Lord is my strength and my might;
he has become my salvation.
21 I
thank you that you have answered me
and have become my salvation.
22 The stone that the builders rejected
has become the chief cornerstone.
23 This is the Lord’s doing;
it is marvelous in our eyes.
24 This is the day that the Lord has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.
25 Save us, we beseech you, O Lord!
O Lord, we beseech you, give us success!
and have become my salvation.
22 The stone that the builders rejected
has become the chief cornerstone.
23 This is the Lord’s doing;
it is marvelous in our eyes.
24 This is the day that the Lord has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.
25 Save us, we beseech you, O Lord!
O Lord, we beseech you, give us success!
28 You
are my God, and I will give thanks to you;
you are my God, I will extol you.
you are my God, I will extol you.
29 O
give thanks to the Lord, for
he is good,
for his steadfast love endures forever. Psalm 118: 1,2-6,10-12a, 14, 21,29
for his steadfast love endures forever. Psalm 118: 1,2-6,10-12a, 14, 21,29
If we would have gather together for
worship today, I most likely would have greeted you with “This is the day the
Lord has made; and you would have responded “Let us rejoice and be glad in it.”
It is a ritual our family of faith does before my final announcements. It is not
so much a call to worship as it is a call to mindfulness of why we worship.
Psalm 118 is jammed packed with emotions.
Thankfulness, distress, bravado, fear, certainty, praise, desperation, assurance,
resolve, gratitude and more. The psalmist lays it all on the table. It is not
one emotion or another; it is life with all its complexities. What is the glue
that holds our messy lives together according to the Psalmist? God who is trustworthy as seen by God’s past
actions/deeds.
Martin Luther wrote a commentary on Psalm
118 while hiding in the Coburg Castle as men sought to imprison or possibly kill
him. He said, “(in Psalm118), the dying live; the suffering rejoice; the fallen
rise; the disgraced are honored. It is as Christ says, 'He who believes in me,
though he die, yet shall he live.'"
This is why we worship;
no matter what is going on around us, God’s promise of salvation is steadfast. Ultimately
our life on this earth is not the final chapter. We look forward to God’s
eternal kingdom. This is also why we can rejoice and be glad in each and every
day.
So join me in worshipping
God this day with a heart full of gratitude. Grab a hymnal, go online, find
hymns or contemporary songs that fill your heart with joy and sing with abandon.
Yes, sing! Even if you think you can’t
sing – sing. Remember the only people who will hear you is your own family and
if they have never heard you sing, let’s just say it is about time. Then tell
others at least 5 things you are grateful for this day. End your personal
worship with prayer with raising your arms in praise and singing the doxology:
Praise God from whom all flow Praise God all creatures here below. Praise God
above ye heavenly host: Praise
Father, Son and Holy Ghost. (LBW 564)
“Now be at peace and serve the
Lord”
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