His Steadfast Love Endures Forever

 

Psalm 118: 14-29

 

October 8, 2022

 

His Steadfast Love Endures Forever

 

The Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.
Glad songs of salvation are in the tents of the righteous: “The right hand of the Lord does valiantly, the right hand of the Lord exalts, the right hand of the Lord does valiantly!  In Isaiah 41:10, we find this promise, “fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”  Do you wonder why so many in the Church look to other sources?

 

”I shall not die, but I shall live, and recount the deeds of the Lord. The Lord has disciplined me severely, but he has not given me over to death.  I now have experienced such a time, and I have many who are very close to me who have walked in the shoes of the Psalmist.  

 

Open to me the gates of righteousness, that I may enter through them and give thanks to the Lord.  This is the gate of the Lord;
the righteous shall enter through it.  I thank you that you have answered me and have become my salvation.  The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.   This is the Lord's doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.  This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. 

 Cornerstone, where in the New Testament do we find that word used, and about whom?  Jesus, quotes these verses in Matthew 21:42-43,  Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: “‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes?  “Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit.”  Jesus is referring to Himself as the Cornerstone, and the Jewish people are His chosen, but for a while, we the Church are a wild vine that has been grafted into the vine that is Christ, and we are in Christ and He is in us.  Our purpose is to produce fruit.                             

Save us, we pray, O Lord!  O Lord, we pray, give us success!  Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!   We the Church have no other name, no program, to bear fruit, and Jesus has made that clear; in John 15:5,6, "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me, you can do nothing.  If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire, and burned. 

We bless you from the house of the Lord.  The Lord is God, and he has made his light to shine upon us.  Bind the festal sacrifice with cords, up to the horns of the altar!  Could it be that many who go by the title of Christian, leave their blessing at the Church building?  Are we that ignorant of our calling, the Church is Christ living out His life in all who by grace and faith have entered into a personal relationship with the Lord.

 

You are my God, and I will give thanks to you; you are my God; I will extol you.  Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!  Amen

 

From the Back Porch,

 

Bob Rice