A Refrain Worth Repeating

“O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His steadfast love endures forever…Let those who fear the Lord say, ‘His steadfast love endures forever.’..You are my God, and I will give thanks to you; Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His steadfast love endures forever!” –Psalm 118: 1, 4, 28-29.

Psalm 118 is called a “Hallel” or hymn of praise.  Used in the Hebrew worship services in synagogues and the Temple, this Psalm, like others in this series, calls upon all of God’s people to praise Him for His steadfast love.  That call to thanksgiving and prayer was such a strong belief that it bore repeating, again and again.  From November 10 through today, these daily devotionals have focused on some aspect of giving thanks.  My aim was to lead us through significant scriptures that teach a definite lesson, one worth repeating:  God’s people should be a thankful people, individually and corporately in churches, because God is steadfast in His love and provision for us.  Many churches sing “The Doxology” each Sunday in worship services.  The Hallel Psalms were much like our Doxology—extoling God for His love, His steadfastness and His provision.  Thanksgiving is not just an aspect of days in November when we are called especially to give thanks.  Thanksgiving should be incorporated into the Christian’s lifestyle.

It is interesting to note the progression in Psalm 118 of how the people are encouraged to express thanks.  The first verse is a general invitation, repeated again to close out the Psalm in verse 29.  Next comes, in verses 2-4, a corporate invitation to praise God, specifying “Israel, Jacob (ways of referring to the Israelite nation) and all “those who fear the Lord” (v. 4).  Then comes the “personal testimony” part of the worship: the first-person, I, declares:  “The Lord is on my side, I will not fear.  What can man do to me?” (v. 6).  Verses 8-9 declare that it’s better to trust in God than the government of the land!  Verses 10-13 goes beyond national issues and acknowledges shaky ground in dealing with international issues, but through it all God helped the worshiper.  Deliverance leads to another outburst of praise from one who has known victory in the Lord, and his song of praise is expressed in verses 14-16.   

Verse 17 has a special personal meaning to me.  It is underlined in my Bible and how well I remember the occasions of my being encouraged by it.  It was November 16, 1993.  I was in the guest room of Atlanta Medical Center (formerly Georgia Baptist Hospital). I was there because my husband was in the hospital about to undergo serious heart surgery early on November 17.  I sought assurance from the Lord, and as I prepared to read my Bible, it opened to Psalm 118:17:  “I shall not die but I shall live, and recount the deeds of the Lord.”  That was God’s reassurance that Grover would come through heart surgery (five bypasses) and live to again recount the mercies of the Lord.  And he did.  The two other occasions—and these two times I knew exactly where to find that verse!—were the night before I had serious aneurysm surgery at St. Joseph’s hospital in Atlanta on December 30, 1999 and the night prior to my own five bypasses heart surgery on August 30, 2007 at Medical Center of Central Georgia in Macon.  How wonderful to have a reassurance from God’s word that His presence and mercy would see us through difficult times.  This is a verse worth repeating again and again!

Prayer.  Thank you, Lord, that Your word provides the encouragement we need.  Amen.