The LORD is for me, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?

Psalms 118:6

Psalm 118 was written in the context of hostility. The unnamed psalm writer was facing threats from his enemies who hated him and sought to kill him. But the Lord rescued and protected him (118:6-13).

Yet in the midst of his struggle, when the outcome wasn’t clear from a human perspective, the psalmist prayed to the Lord and found reassurance. He began to look at his situation from a divine perspective: “The LORD is for me, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?” (118:6). Though he faced danger and even the threat of death, the psalmist was comforted and emboldened by a simple truth: “The Lord is for me.”

These five words translate only two in Hebrew: yhwh li. So few and such simple words encapsulate some of the most profound and powerful truths of life: God is for me. God is on my side. God wants the best for me. God will never let me down. God will help me. Yhwh li … God is for me!

How I wish I believed this more consistently! I think of times in my life when I felt besieged and criticized. Or I remember other times when fear gripped my heart and wouldn’t let go. If only this truth could have penetrated and permeated my soul: God is for me. God is for me. God is for me. God is for me. Yes, he is!

And God is for you, too. He is there when you need him most. He is there when you can sense his presence. And he is there even when he seems very far away. Here is a truth upon which you can base your life: God is for you!

QUESTIONS FOR FURTHER REFLECTION: When have you sensed God’s presence in a powerful way? What are you facing today for which you need the reassurance of God’s presence? How would you live differently if you truly believed that God is for you?

PRAYER: O Lord, thank you for being for me. Thank you for being there when I need you. Thank you for wanting the very best for me. Thank you for encouraging me when I feel down. Thank you for strengthening me when I am weak. Thank you for being there, even when others let me down. Thank you, dear Lord, for being for me.

May I live today as if this were true. May I trust you, rely upon you, seek you, and serve you. Even as you are for me today, may I be for you!

I pray in the name of Jesus, Amen.

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