Reading the Word

Psalm 118:10–18 (ESV)

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! ¹² They surrounded me like bees; they went out like a fire among thorns; in the name of the Lord I cut them off! ¹³ I was pushed hard, so that I was falling, but the Lord helped me. ¹⁴ The Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. ¹⁵ Glad songs of salvation are in the tents of the righteous: “The right hand of the Lord does valiantly, ¹⁶ the right hand of the Lord exalts, the right hand of the Lord does valiantly!” ¹⁷ I shall not die, but I shall live, and recount the deeds of the Lord. ¹⁸ The Lord has disciplined me severely, but he has not given me over to death.

Understanding and Applying the Word

Psalm 118 is a psalm of thanksgiving for deliverance. In the verses for today, we read that the enemy had surrounded the psalmist. He repeats this fact three times in verses 10-12, while finishing with the statement that “They surrounded me like bees.” With these words, we get a sense of the frightening situation. However, with the help of the Lord, the enemy was “cut off.” Victory and deliverance was secured. As a result, the righteous sing glad songs of salvation.

Thanksgiving always begins with the individual. In verses 17-18, the psalmist recounts the deeds of the Lord to him. He remembers how God has granted him salvation and not given him over to death. When we as believers gather to worship and give thanks, we begin by thinking of our own salvation and join in thanksgiving with the people of God who have experienced the same. Let us sing glad songs of salvation as we remember our personal salvation and the salvation of all of those who belong to the Lord.

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