“All nations surrounded me, but in the name of the LORD I will destroy them. They surrounded me, yes, they surrounded me; but in the name of the LORD I will destroy them. They surrounded me like bees; . . . In the name of the LORD I will destroy them” (Psalm 118:10-12).
Dear Praying Friends:
The psalmist, probably a king of Israel, was overwhelmed. “All nations” had attacked him at once, and from all directions.
Despite the impossible odds, he boldly asserts that “in the name of the LORD” – that is, trusting in God’s presence and power and promised strength – he would surely overcome.
The rest of the psalm, which is replete with vivid repetitions, shows how the writer gained the victory through God’s mighty intervention, and how the psalm points to Christ, who referred to it, and who probably sang it on the way to Gethsemane (Matthew 21:42; 26:30).
We all feel deluged by difficulties at times. Jesus did, too, and he can help us when we call on him in distress (118:5). After all, he is for us as one who helps and as one who knows (6-7).
“The LORD is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation” (Psalm 118:14).
Yours in his victory,
Wright