Psalm 117
Praise the Lord, All Nations!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Wednesday, August 16.
The shortest verse in the Bible is John 11:35, “Jesus wept.” The shortest chapter in the Bible is today’s psalm – Psalm 117. While it may be the shortest psalm, it is large in its scope because it proclaims the enduring faithfulness of God to reach all the nations. Today’s two-verse chapter starts and finishes with the same exhortation to all the peoples: “Praise the Lord, all nations; laud Him, all peoples! For His lovingkindness is great toward us, and the truth of the Lord is everlasting. Praise the Lord!” It begins and ends with Hallelujah! Yahweh is to be praised by all the peoples; every nation is under His sovereign rule. This is no small declaration of faith!
As one of the Egyptian Hallel psalms, the psalmist was boldly reflecting upon God’s victory over the Egyptians and their gods, projecting God’s victory over every nation and the evil that rules them (Psalm 82). Later, in Romans 15:11, Paul quoted this promise in his apologia for his apostleship to the Gentiles, which he saw as a direct fulfillment of God’s promise to reach “all nations.” Read Paul’s triumphant prayer in Romans 15:5-13 to see why we must work for the ingathering of all the nations into the kingdom of God. This is the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit through the church (Acts 3:26). This is the enduring faithfulness of God to reach all the nations, and it is happening through the church in this age of Pentecost – to fulfill the Great Commission, which Jesus gave His disciples in Matthew 28:18-20. This was not only Paul’s special call as an apostle, but this is every Christian’s call as a disciple of Jesus Christ.
Seize the moment and pray Psalm 117, meditating upon the Holy Spirit’s power in your life to be His witness today (Acts 1:8). God has called you to reach the nations, one person at a time.
God bless you!
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YOUTUBE:
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