Oh friends, the freedom that comes from trusting in Christ is life-changing. “His faithful love endures forever.” Find refuge in the Lord rather than trusting in people or worldly powers. I have a personal connection to a verse in the Psalms that helped me overcome fear during a turbulent plane ride. I’m going to tell you about that and more, but let’s bust into Psalm 118 now!
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Transcription:
If you could paint a picture right now of what your freedom in Christ looks like, what would you paint? You’ve got the paintbrush in your hand. You’ve got a blank canvas in front of you. You’ve got all the colors of the rainbow on your palette. For me, it would be my friend and colleague Paul. For the past seven weeks he’s been on a walker and using a cane because he had a knee replacement surgery. But I just saw Tall Paul walking down the hallway with no walker, no cane. He is free. I mean it was so cool to see him all healed up.
Welcome to the Bible for Busy People. I’m Erica, and you know it’s Friday so it’s time for Joy Bombs in the Psalms. I feel like I just experienced a joy bomb seeing Paul because I know how he feels. I imagine that when he was done with that cane, he wanted to throw it out the window, right? It felt so good to be strong and to be healed once again. And that’s how it feels when you trust Christ to set you free. We’ve been talking about it all this week and right now we’re going to celebrate the freedom that we’ve been given in Christ. Join me in Psalm 118. Let’s cannonball right in. Here we go.
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever. 2 Let all Israel repeat: “His faithful love endures forever.” 3 Let Aaron’s descendants, the priests, repeat: “His faithful love endures forever.” 4 Let all who fear the Lord repeat: “His faithful love endures forever.”
Let’s just soak that up for a minute. There’s God to be a reason that the psalmist repeated those words several times.
His faithful love endures forever.
God is never Going to stop faithfully loving you ever His love, which is faithful, endures forever. That is some good news to embrace today. Verse five, now.
In my distress I prayed to the Lord, and the Lord answered me and set me free. 6 The Lord is for me, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me? 7 Yes, the Lord is for me; he will help me. I will look in triumph at those who hate me. 8 It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in people. 9 It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes. 10 Though hostile nations surrounded me, I destroyed them all with the authority of the Lord. 11 Yes, they surrounded and attacked me, but I destroyed them all with the authority of the Lord. 12 They swarmed around me like bees; they blazed against me like a crackling fire. But I destroyed them all with the authority of the Lord. 13 My enemies did their best to kill me, but the Lord rescued me. 14 The Lord is my strength and my song; he has given me victory. 15 Songs of joy and victory are sung in the camp of the godly.
Isn’t that beautiful? Let’s pitch a little tent here. Your home can be the camp of the Godly when you are with your family later, when you are with your dog later, turn it into a camp of the Godly and sing songs of joy and victory together. Alright, the rest of verse 15 now.
The strong right arm of the Lord has done glorious things! 16 The strong right arm of the Lord is raised in triumph. The strong right arm of the Lord has done glorious things!
Another repeat. Let’s stop for a second. Let’s consider that. The Lord is working in our lives just as he was working in the life of the psalmist and he is strong and he is still doing glorious things. Verse 17, now.
I will not die; instead, I will live to tell what the Lord has done.
I love that particular verse because one time I was on a plane and there was terrible turbulence and I was reading a book. It’s called Hinds’ Feet on High Places by Hannah Hurnard. I recommended it to you so highly. It’s a wonderful book about overcoming fear. But I was so terrified of flying and just as we hit this terrible bump in the sky, I don’t know if there are speed bumps in the sky, but it sure felt like it. And I looked at my dad and even he looked a little nervous, I saw that verse in the book and it said, I will not die. Instead, I will live to tell what the Lord has done. So that verse is very special to me. Verse 18 now.
The Lord has punished me severely, but he did not let me die. 19 Open for me the gates where the righteous enter, and I will go in and thank the Lord. 20 These gates lead to the presence of the Lord, and the godly enter there. 21 I thank you for answering my prayer and giving me victory! 22 The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone. 23 This is the Lord’s doing, and it is wonderful to see. 24 This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.
Yes, let’s pitch a small tent here. Let’s rejoice and be glad that we are free, that God has set us free.
Please, Lord, please save us. Please, Lord, please give us success. 26 Bless the one who comes in the name of the Lord. We bless you from the house of the Lord. 27 The Lord is God, shining upon us. Take the sacrifice and bind it with cords on 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 faithful love endures forever.
Don’t you feel safe? Don’t you feel secure? Don’t you feel like throwing the walker of your fears out the window? Don’t you feel like throwing the cane of your doubts out the door? We are free and not just free. We are free indeed. Thank you, Jesus. Until next time, you are really loved.
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