Psalm 118:1-29 - "You Are My God"

Psalm 118:1-29 - "You Are My God"

"You are my God, and I will give you thanks; you are my God, and I will exalt you. Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever." (verses 28-29)

May this be our confession on this final day of 2024.

"You Are My God"

The psalmist's confession carries the weight of his heart. He praises God's goodness and steadfast love, celebrating the grace that God has poured out upon him. He urges others to join in thanksgiving.

Though we don't know the exact circumstances, the psalmist likely experienced divine deliverance from great crisis and tribulation. When he prayed to God in his suffering and despair, refusing to give up, God answered. When he became an object of mockery and ridicule, God stood by his side (verses 5-7).

This is why the psalm both begins (verse 1) and ends (verse 29) with praise for God's goodness and steadfast love, calling all to give thanks.

"God is good."

"God is loving."

"God's goodness and love endure forever."

This is the psalmist's heartfelt confession.

On this final day of 2024, there are those who weep in the early dawn - those who have lost family, those dying from hunger, those who have lost their homes to war, and those who tremble in anxiety and fear. They are all God's created beings. May the psalmist's praise and confession rise from their lips as well.

Prayer: Gracious and loving God, let the psalmist's cry "You are my God" flow from the lips of all those who suffer throughout the world. Deliver them from their pain. Let them praise Your living presence. Holy Spirit, guide us in truth. Amen.