Psalm 118:5

Psalm 118:5

He brought me into a spacious place

And so to the real business of this Psalm and what a delightful treat this verse provides. Firstly, it is important to remember that when all the odds are stacked against us, when our enemies are circling and ready to pounce, when our resources have run dry and our support has melted away, then it is time to cry to the Lord. This appeal to the Lord God in times of need is a common occurrence in the Psalms, there are innumerable occasions when those who trust and believe have come to the end of themselves and pleaded with heaven to intervene. Most have witnessed a dramatic change of circumstances, a few have found that the reply from above has been delayed. All bear testimony to the goodness and faithfulness of the Lord.  

Whilst it is not clear what experiences caused our writer to feel so “hard pressed” I suspect that we have all experienced times when circumstances and pressures have so sapped our strength and dominated our thoughts and actions, that we have felt completely imprisoned by the stress and pain of it all. Hence, the delightful second part of this verse is like a breath of fresh air, “He brought me into a spacious place.” We first met this phrase in Palm 18:19 where David writes about the oppression and anxiety prompted by the jealous aggression of King Saul, he writes, “The Lord was my support. He brought me out into a spacious place; He rescued me because He delighted in me.” David was free! He no longer needed to look over his shoulder and be in constant fear of his enemy’s intentions, the oppression had lifted, and he revelled in the liberating freedom of the Lord’s deliverance. Isn’t it wonderful when we can live free, no longer cowering in fear, no longer looking furtively about us for our enemies, no longer oppressed by dark thoughts or imprisoning anxieties? How good it is to be in a spacious place! Hallelujah! 

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