July 09


Psalm 117


All you nations, praise the Lord.
All you people, praise him.
The Lord loves us very much.
His truth is everlasting.
Praise the Lord!

Psalm 117:1,2 (NCV)


Did you know Psalm 117 is the shortest chapter in the Bible? All two verses of it. It’s like the haiku of Hebrew poetry. It cuts the fat and gives us lean meat—tiny, satisfying filets. Prime cuts: lightly grilled and set before us. Can you tell? I love this psalm.

This is good news, and it’s so upbeat. It’s all about God and God’s Kingdom; God’s goodness and His grace. It distills the basics of the Bible into two simple verses, and I love it!

The passage is directive, and it’s for everyone—facts to make life simple for us all. Praise the Lord. This is the primary reason we exist—to honor and glorify God, and the psalmist thinks it so important, he repeats it three times in two verses. This, my friend, is a priority: look to God, and praise Him! Everyone, all nations, all people, praise the Lord!

The psalmist hands us this big idea everyone needs to know, sort of the John 3:16 of the Old Testament. This truth changes lives: God loves you. This truth fixes things and sets people
n the path to meaningful life: God loves you abundantly. The Hebrew word chesed is sometimes translated lovingkindness or merciful kindness. It is God’s loyal love where He consistently bends over backwards to show us the right way. He faithfully prods us in the direction of His incomparable grace and blessing. It’s His give and give again love, and when we realize just how strong He is for us, it changes us for good.

This good is found in His truth. Another gift God gives us: the truth that challenges us, but also the truth that sets us free. This is life. This is God and His kingdom … for us!

Praise the Lord!


Lord thank You for these beautiful words … The Lord loves us very much. His truth is everlasting. Praise the Lord!