In The Word
Read: Psalm 117, 118
117 Praise the Lord, all nations;
Sing His praises, all peoples!
2 For His mercy toward us is great,
And the truth of the Lord is everlasting.
Praise the Lord!
118 Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good;
For His mercy is everlasting.
2 Let Israel say,
“His mercy is everlasting.”
3 Oh let the house of Aaron say,
“His mercy is everlasting.”
4 Let those who fear the Lord say,
“His mercy is everlasting.”
5 From my distress I called upon the Lord;
The Lord answered me and put me in an open space.
6 The Lord is for me; I will not fear;
What can man do to me?
7 The Lord is for me among those who help me;
Therefore I will look with satisfaction on those who hate me.
8 It is better to take refuge in the Lord
Than to trust in people.
9 It is better to take refuge in the Lord
Than to trust in noblemen.
10 All nations surrounded me;
In the name of the Lord I will certainly fend them off.
11 They surrounded me, yes, they surrounded me;
In the name of the Lord I will certainly fend them off.
12 They surrounded me like bees;
They were extinguished like a fire of thorn bushes;
In the name of the Lord I will certainly fend them off.
13 You pushed me violently so that I was falling,
But the Lord helped me.
14 The Lord is my strength and song,
And He has become my salvation.
15 The sound of joyful shouting and salvation is in the tents of the righteous;
The right hand of the Lord performs valiantly.
16 The right hand of the Lord is exalted;
The right hand of the Lord performs valiantly.
17 I will not die, but live,
And tell of the works of the Lord.
18 The Lord has disciplined me severely,
But He has not turned me over to death.
19 Open the gates of righteousness to me;
I will enter through them, I will give thanks to the Lord.
20 This is the gate of the Lord;
The righteous will enter through it.
21 I will give thanks to You, for You have answered me,
And You have become my salvation.
22 A stone which the builders rejected
Has become the chief cornerstone.
23 This came about from the Lord;
It is marvelous in our eyes.
24 This is the day which the Lord has made;
Let’s rejoice and be glad in it.
25 Please, O Lord, do save us;
Please, O Lord, do send prosperity!
26 Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord;
We have blessed you from the house of the Lord.
27 The Lord is God, and He has given us light;
Bind the festival sacrifice to the horns of the altar with cords.
28 You are my God, and I give thanks to You;
You are my God, I exalt You.
29 Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good;
For His mercy is everlasting.
New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation
Walking In The Word
Though Psalm 117 is very short, it carries a great point that “all nations” and “all people” should praise the Lord! His everlasting loving-kindness is not just for the Israelites, but for all of mankind! This timeless love is worshipped in both psalms as they open with, “Praise the Lord!” But in Psalm 118:6-7, we hear the psalmist proclaim, “The Lord is for me!” Do you believe that? Do you truly believe that your Heavenly Father is for you and not against you?
Many people equate the love of their Heavenly father with the love they received from their earthly father. For most of us, it’s not a comparison we wish to imagine. Our earthly father could have been an unloving father, a father that was never satisfied with our accomplishments, always belittling us, maybe even telling us that we were worthless. In verse 8, it says, “It’s better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man.” Man will always let you down, but not your Heavenly Father. “From my distress I called upon the Lord and He answered me and set me in a large place” (Psalm 118:5). When you know that you are loved and cherished by your Heavenly Father, it is easy to proclaim, like the psalmist, the love and praise we read about here in Psalm 118. Your Heavenly Father loves you and wants what’s best for you. The psalmist knew this as he sang, “The Lord is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation” (Psalm 118:14). Through the death of Jesus Christ, God’s only Son given for you, you now have that salvation! Praise the Lord!