Great is the Lord of All
Scripture Passage: Psalm 117:1-2 (NASB)
Praise the Lord, all nations;
Laud Him, all peoples!
2 For His lovingkindness is great toward us,
And the truth of the Lord is everlasting.
Praise the Lord!
SUMMARY
The psalmist invites all nations and all people to praise the Lord because His lovingkindness is great, and His truth is eternal. The psalmist gives command to praise the Lord at the end again.
MEDITATION & REFLECTION
There is a praise song made with the lyrics from the second verse of this psalm. I love to sing it when I meditate or pray. It is short, but so powerful. Whenever I sing it over and over again, my heart opens up and I can feel the greatness of God deeply. I become overwhelmed with the sense of who He is, which I cannot express with words. Today, while I was singing the praise song again, I meditated on Psalm 117.
The psalmist invites all nations and peoples to praise the Lord. Why does he ask all the nations and peoples, not just the people of Israel, to praise the Lord, Yahweh? It may be because the psalmist knows that Yahweh is the Creator, the only one God to be worshiped, and the ruler throughout human history and the world. It is because he knows that He is the One who created all things and holds all things with the Word. He knows that Yahweh is the one who establishes and defeats the nations and kings of the world, and to whom belongs all the power and glory.
Not only that, but the psalmist says that the reason we should praise God is because His lovingkindness for us is great and His truth is eternal. Whom does he mean by “us”? Is it only the Israelites who have been chosen among all nations? Is it to praise God who only loves Israel? I do not think so. The Lord God, who is worthy to be praised by all nations and peoples, does not only love the people of Israel. That great love “toward us” is the love of the Creator for all mankind, who was made in His image. That love is the love of God who embraces all races and people of all languages.
How is His love so great? It is great because He not only set the Israelites free from Egypt, but also set us free from the bondage of sin. It is great because He sent His beloved, only begotten Son, to this earth in a human form to save us and die for us on the cross. It is great because He sent the Holy Spirit to all believers, to not leave us as orphans, so that we may obey and live in unity with Christ. That love is not limited, temporal, instantaneous, or conditional. There is no partiality. His great love broke the wall and connected heaven and earth through the cross. It is a long-suffering love for all human beings who are bound to perish forever because of Adam’s sin from the beginning.
In addition, the psalmist says that the truth and faithfulness of the Lord will never end. We must praise God who is faithful. He fulfilled the covenant with Abraham through Christ Jesus. We become children of God, who can receive the inheritance of spiritual blessing. Satan always tries to deceive, steal, kill and destroy us. But Jesus came to give us life abundantly. He opens the way of salvation to the Gentiles. We can always come and rely on Jesus Christ who is the same yesterday, today and forever. When we believe that He alone is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, we can praise Him with the joy of salvation.
APPLICATION
I will keep meditating on the steadfast love and faithfulness of the Heavenly Father who saved me from my sin, and I will resolve to not forget to give thanks and praise even in current difficult circumstances. Practically, I will sing that specific praise song more often to remember who God is so that I can resemble His love and faithfulness to serve my family, friends and the church. Since the great love of God is for all of us, I will not cease to intercede for the sick members and lost souls. There is a Korean proverb that even if you enter the tiger’s den, you will live if you are fully alert. I would like to arm myself each day with the Word and prayer. I will try to reduce the time I spend watching YouTube. I am grateful and thrilled for God’s love, so I decide again to be faithful in serving my family and church, and studying with better time management.
PRAYER
Father God, I praise you for who you are and what you have done for us. “The Lord’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, For His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.” (Lamentations 3:22-23)
Thank you for saving us from our sins. We do not deserve your love, but you “demonstrate[s] [your] own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8) Lord, give me strength and wisdom. Fill me with the Holy Spirit, so I can grasp the depth, length, width, and height of your love. Help me to love my family, the church, and your people with your love. Help me to pray for them with a heart of truth. I pray in the name of Jesus.
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