Giddy with Gratitude – Psalm 118

A text – Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29

118:1 O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his steadfast love endures forever!
118:2 Let Israel say, “His steadfast love endures forever.”
118:19 Open to me the gates of righteousness, that I may enter through them and give thanks to the LORD.
118:20 This is the gate of the LORD; the righteous shall enter through it.
118:21 I thank you that you have answered me and have become my salvation.
118:22 The stone that the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone.
118:23 This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.
118:24 This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.
118:25 Save us, we beseech you, O LORD! O LORD, we beseech you, give us success!
118:26 Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the LORD. We bless you from the house of the LORD.
118:27 The LORD is God, and he has given us light. Bind the festal procession with branches, up to the horns of the altar.
118:28 You are my God, and I will give thanks to you; you are my God, I will extol you.
118:29 O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.

A reflection:

Look at these verses. Over and over the words of celebration and gratitude are repeated: steadfastness, righteousness, beseeching, blessed, thanks, endures. If I knew nothing about the faith, and if I had only these repeated words from Psalm 118 to go on, I would have to think that believers are grateful to have someone they can rely on, a Lord they can trust, a God with whom they try to stay in right relationship with, and when they fail, a God who reaches out to make up the difference. When they beseech the Lord, yearn to be connected, they are blessed to always be reconnected. And they live in the hope that this relationship will endure forever.

Yes, it is only one psalm. There are so many other psalms. But as Jesus prepares to stir things up and then put his life on the line for all humankind in his journey to the cross, isn’t it exactly the kind of relationship he wants with his heavenly father, and isn’t it the cornerstone upon which his followers will base their trust in him?

Who in this world do you trust this much? Who is so determined to have a right relationship with you that, if you fail at your part, he or she will meet you more than halfway? Who blesses you and whom do you bless? It is blissful to think of someone caring so much about us that we are cared for and brought back into right relationship, every time. It should make us giddy with gratitude.  It should make it seem that anything is possible.

A prayer:

Lord God, Thank you for loving us. Thank you for keeping us right with you so that anything seems possible. Help us to remember when we are down or disillusioned that you endure. You are steadfast. You keep us near. Help us to share our gratitude for you with our neighbor.  Amen.