LIVING WORD DEVOTIONAL
By Pastor Mensa Otabil
Tuesday 3rd August 2021
(Day 39 of 40 Days of Power)
PRAISE
Let those who fear the Lord now say, “His mercy endures forever.” I called on the Lord in distress; The Lord answered me and set me in a broad place. (Psalm 118:4-5)
Psalm 118 is a thanksgiving Psalm. The Psalm reminds us about God’s love with the chorus, “He is good, and His mercy endures forever.” The Psalmist recounts testimony after testimony of God’s deliverance and thanks God for each of them. When you read the Psalm, you can imagine it being sang in a procession to the Temple.
The Psalm brings to light three important truths:
- I called on the Lord. This is a statement that refers to prayer. The Psalmist says that He called upon God ‘in distress’. The phrase means ‘in a narrow place’ – in a tight place. The idea is that of turning to God in prayer when you have nowhere to turn to. Sooner or later, each one finds ourselves in some kind of narrow place. When that time comes, we must remember to call on the Lord.
- He answered me. The testimony of the Psalmist is that God answered his prayer when he was in distress. God is a prayer-answering God. It is sobering and comforting that the Most High God, the Creator of all things listens when we call to Him in prayer. It is a blessed assurance that He will respond to us when we reach out to Him. Most of us have testimonies of God responding to our distress call.
- He set me in a broad place. The Lord took the psalmist from the narrow place and brought him to a broad place – a place of freedom. That is what the Lord is able to do for us also. He is able to liberate us, taking us out of restriction and inhibition and set us in a spacious place. He opens new doors for us and grants us opportunities. The Lord will set us in a broad place when we pray to Him.
God wants each of us to have a testimony. He wants each of us to praise Him for turning our lives around. Don’t be silent when the Lord answers your prayer. Share your testimony. May the Lord be glorified in your life.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, you are a prayer-answering God. Thank you for turning my life around and giving me a testimony. In Jesus’ name, Amen.