117 Praise the Lord, all nations!
Extol him, all peoples!
2 For great is his steadfast love toward us,
and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever.
Praise the Lord!
Reflection
This shortest of all the psalms focuses attention on the importance of praising God for two of His most wonderful qualities, namely: his loyal love and his faithfulness.
Here the psalmist celebrates a truth of which the prophets often spoke. God is the savior not only of Israel, but of the world. In Christ, the vision of this psalm has been fulfilled. All the nations, all peoples, praise and extol the Lord for the salvation Jesus has won.
Recount your experience and knowledge of God’s love and faithfulness. Draw close to Him in praise and thanksgiving and tell Him how grateful you are for all His blessings in your life.
Prayer & Journaling:
Stay with God for a little longer. Continue to converse with God and listen to what he wants to tell me. Then write down any thought and/or prayer in the “Spiritual Journal” book.
2 Because he inclined his ear to me,
therefore I will call on him as long as I live.
3 The snares of death encompassed me;
the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me;
I suffered distress and anguish.
4 Then I called on the name of the Lord:
“O Lord, I pray, deliver my soul!”
5 Gracious is the Lord, and righteous;
our God is merciful.
6 The Lord preserves the simple;
when I was brought low, he saved me.
7 Return, O my soul, to your rest;
for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you.
8 For you have delivered my soul from death,
my eyes from tears,
my feet from stumbling;
9 I will walk before the Lord
in the land of the living.
10 I believed, even when I spoke:
“I am greatly afflicted”;
11 I said in my alarm,
“All mankind are liars.”
12 What shall I render to the Lord
for all his benefits to me?
13 I will lift up the cup of salvation
and call on the name of the Lord,
14 I will pay my vows to the Lord
in the presence of all his people.
15 Precious in the sight of the Lord
is the death of his saints.
16 O Lord, I am your servant;
I am your servant, the son of your maidservant.
You have loosed my bonds.
17 I will offer to you the sacrifice of thanksgiving
and call on the name of the Lord.
18 I will pay my vows to the Lord
in the presence of all his people,
19 in the courts of the house of the Lord,
in your midst, O Jerusalem.
Praise the Lord!
Reflection
The psalmist gave thanks to God for delivering him from imminent death and for lengthening his life. He promised to praise God in the temple for these blessings.
This is a hymn of individual thanksgiving, and it is also messianic. This is a good psalm to read when you need to recommit yourself to serving God.
Recall a time when you did call on God and he answered you and showed you great and mighty things. What was this experience like for you? What “sacrifice of thanksgiving” could you give to God?
Prayer & Journaling:
Stay with God for a little longer. Continue to converse with God and listen to what he wants to tell me. Then write down any thought and/or prayer in the “Spiritual Journal” book.
115 Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory,
for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness!
2 Why should the nations say,
“Where is their God?”
3 Our God is in the heavens;
he does all that he pleases.
4 Their idols are silver and gold,
the work of human hands.
5 They have mouths, but do not speak;
eyes, but do not see.
6 They have ears, but do not hear;
noses, but do not smell.
7 They have hands, but do not feel;
feet, but do not walk;
and they do not make a sound in their throat.
8 Those who make them become like them;
so do all who trust in them.
9 O Israel, trust in the Lord!
He is their help and their shield.
10 O house of Aaron, trust in the Lord!
He is their help and their shield.
11 You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord!
He is their help and their shield.
12 The Lord has remembered us; he will bless us;
he will bless the house of Israel;
he will bless the house of Aaron;
13 he will bless those who fear the Lord,
both the small and the great.
14 May the Lord give you increase,
you and your children!
15 May you be blessed by the Lord,
who made heaven and earth!
16 The heavens are the Lord’s heavens,
but the earth he has given to the children of man.
17 The dead do not praise the Lord,
nor do any who go down into silence.
18 But we will bless the Lord
from this time forth and forevermore.
Praise the Lord!
Reflection
This is a hymn sung by the whole community, rejoicing in its solidarity as a people of the Lord. We are taught to give glory to God, and not to ourselves (v 1); and not to idols (vv 2-8). We must give glory to God by trusting in him, in his promise and blessing (vv 9-15); and by blessing him (vv 16-18).
Passover recalls events which set the God of Israel apart from the deities of all nations. Pagans scoff because God cannot be seen, yet their idols of silver and gold are inanimate lumps. Therefore, God’s people cry out together:
O Israel, trust in the Lord!
He is their help and their shield.
O house of Aaron, trust in the Lord!
He is their help and their shield.
You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord!
He is their help and their shield.
What are some modern idols? Christian idols? In what sense do you become what you worship? Are there any ideas, things, people that you trust more readily than God?
Consider how vastly superior God is to all idols. Ask God to help you forsake the idols in your life.
Prayer & Journaling:
Stay with God for a little longer. Continue to converse with God and listen to what he wants to tell me. Then write down any thought and/or prayer in the “Spiritual Journal” book.
114 When Israel went out from Egypt,
the house of Jacob from a people of strange language,
2 Judah became his sanctuary,
Israel his dominion.
3 The sea looked and fled;
Jordan turned back.
4 The mountains skipped like rams,
the hills like lambs.
5 What ails you, O sea, that you flee?
O Jordan, that you turn back?
6 O mountains, that you skip like rams?
O hills, like lambs?
7 Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord,
at the presence of the God of Jacob,
8 who turns the rock into a pool of water,
the flint into a spring of water.
Reflection
When God brought the Israelites out of Egypt, he dwelt among them and ruled over them.
The psalmist personified the Red Sea as seeing the Israelites coming and fleeing from them by parting its waters. Later when the Israelites entered the Promised Land, the Jordan River backed up as far as the town of Adam, farther north in the Jordan Valley, to let them cross. The mountains around Sinai quaked when God came down on Mt. Horeb to meet with his people.
Therefore, everyone should tremble before the Lord (v7), as God’s creation does, because he uses his great power to save and to provide for his people. Remembering his deliverance and provision should move us to fear and be in awe of him. And we offer him praise.
Where does your “salvation history” begin? What main events would you retell in a personal psalm?
What in your life was: (1) Egypt? (2) The Red Sea? (3) The Jordan? (4) Sinai? (5) Water from the rock?
Prayer & Journaling:
Stay with God for a little longer. Continue to converse with God and listen to what he wants to tell me. Then write down any thought and/or prayer in the “Spiritual Journal” book.
Praise, O servants of the Lord,
praise the name of the Lord!
2 Blessed be the name of the Lord
from this time forth and forevermore!
3 From the rising of the sun to its setting,
the name of the Lord is to be praised!
4 The Lord is high above all nations,
and his glory above the heavens!
5 Who is like the Lord our God,
who is seated on high,
6 who looks far down
on the heavens and the earth?
7 He raises the poor from the dust
and lifts the needy from the ash heap,
8 to make them sit with princes,
with the princes of his people.
9 He gives the barren woman a home,
making her the joyous mother of children.
Praise the Lord!
Reflection
Psalm 113 is the first of a collection of six psalms (Ps 113-118) used in the celebration of Passover. They affirmed God for raising up the oppressed (Ps 113), and for deliverance from Egypt (Ps 114). They offered the praise of the community (Ps 115), the individual (Ps 116), and all the nationals (Ps 117). The cycle concluded with an exultant shout of praise that looked forward to the coming Messiah (Ps 118).
Passover was truly a season of praise. Each year, the Jewish people recalled all God had done for them as each Jewish family reenacted the supper held the night death struck Egypt and passed by the blood-marked homes of God’s own. At last Pharaoh agreed to release his slaves. Passover thus was a festival of freedom, a joyous celebration of God’s salvation.
The God of Israel, who is exalted over all nations and whose glory is above the heavens, stooped down to raise “the poor from the dust”, and lift “the needy from the ash heap”. It is fitting to praise the Lord God.
We Christians too have a Passover to celebrate. God in Christ became a man, and humbled himself to accept death, that we, who are marked with his blood through our faith, might be lifted up beyond princes, to stand before the very throne of God.
Spend some time meditating on your own Passover experience. Offer a praise and thanksgiving to God and the Passover Lamb.
Prayer & Journaling:
Stay with God for a little longer. Continue to converse with God and listen to what he wants to tell me. Then write down any thought and/or prayer in the “Spiritual Journal” book.
112 Praise the Lord!
Blessed is the man who fears the Lord,
who greatly delights in his commandments!
2 His offspring will be mighty in the land;
the generation of the upright will be blessed.
3 Wealth and riches are in his house,
and his righteousness endures forever.
4 Light dawns in the darkness for the upright;
he is gracious, merciful, and righteous.
5 It is well with the man who deals generously and lends;
who conducts his affairs with justice.
6 For the righteous will never be moved;
he will be remembered forever.
7 He is not afraid of bad news;
his heart is firm, trusting in the Lord.
8 His heart is steady; he will not be afraid,
until he looks in triumph on his adversaries.
9 He has distributed freely; he has given to the poor;
his righteousness endures forever;
his horn is exalted in honor.
10 The wicked man sees it and is angry;
he gnashes his teeth and melts away;
the desire of the wicked will perish!
Reflection
Ps 112, like Psalm 111, is an acrostic psalm, with each lines beginning with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. While Psalm 111 celebrates God’s mighty deeds on behalf of the people, Psalm 112 offers instruction for response to God by the people.
This psalm puts the spotlight on humans, focusing on the blessings enjoyed by those who fear God (vv2-3). Though living in a dark and evil world, God’s people will be secure and steady because their hearts are with the Lord (vv4, 7-8, 10). Having themselves experienced God’smighty acts on their behalf as well as God’s quiet, steady action of blessing (v2), they will share with the poor what God has given them (vv5, 9).
If our sense of security and happiness depends on the stock market, the weather forecast, the evaluation report, we will continually be anxious of the “bad news”. However, if we honour the Lord, live according to God’s commandments and respond to God in praise and worship, our lives are built upon the solid eternal foundation of the Lord. We are being transformed by our relationship with the Lord and we will not be “afraid of bad news”, and our hearts will remain “firm, trusting in theLord”.
Do any of the lines in this psalm fit someone you admire? Do any fit yourself? Which one do you wish to fit you?
Prayer & Journaling:
Stay with God for a little longer. Continue to converse with God and listen to what he wants to tell me. Then write down any thought and/or prayer in the “Spiritual Journal” book.
111 Praise the Lord!
I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart,
in the company of the upright, in the congregation.
2 Great are the works of the Lord,
studied by all who delight in them.
3 Full of splendor and majesty is his work,
and his righteousness endures forever.
4 He has caused his wondrous works to be remembered;
the Lord is gracious and merciful.
5 He provides food for those who fear him;
he remembers his covenant forever.
6 He has shown his people the power of his works,
in giving them the inheritance of the nations.
7 The works of his hands are faithful and just;
all his precepts are trustworthy;
8 they are established forever and ever,
to be performed with faithfulness and uprightness.
9 He sent redemption to his people;
he has commanded his covenant forever.
Holy and awesome is his name!
10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;
all those who practice it have a good understanding.
His praise endures forever!
Reflection
The psalmist called God’s people to praise him, and declared that he would praise God publicly. He cited examples of God’s goodness, and praised him for his redemption and faithfulness.
God’s people should commit to memory the great characteristics and works of their God so they will remember to trust and obey Him. Try to memorize these 10 short verses and allow them to move you to praise God. As you review this psalm, you will be reminded that God has chosen to exercise his power to redeem and to care for you, his child.
How has God worked in your recent personal history? Can you think of any “works” you could remember (v4)?
Prayer & Journaling:
Stay with God for a little longer. Continue to converse with God and listen to what he wants to tell me. Then write down any thought and/or prayer in the “Spiritual Journal” book.
110 The Lord says to my Lord:
“Sit at my right hand,
until I make your enemies your footstool.”
2 The Lord sends forth from Zion
your mighty scepter.
Rule in the midst of your enemies!
3 Your people will offer themselves freely
on the day of your power,
in holy garments;
from the womb of the morning,
the dew of your youth will be yours.
4 The Lord has sworn
and will not change his mind,
“You are a priest forever
after the order of Melchizedek.”
5 The Lord is at your right hand;
he will shatter kings on the day of his wrath.
6 He will execute judgment among the nations,
filling them with corpses;
he will shatter chiefs
over the wide earth.
7 He will drink from the brook by the way;
therefore he will lift up his head.
Reflection
This psalm acknowledges God as the eternal King-Priest who will settle all disputes and judge all nations. The New Testament often uses this psalm to refer to Jesus as the Anointed One (Messiah) in the continuing dynasty of David. It refers both to His kingly role (v1, Acts 2:34-35) and the priestly role (v4, Heb 5:6).
Think about the enemies you have. Picture them and yourself one day coming to Christ the Supreme Justice who will settle all disputes and rule with an iron hand. That means submitting any of your own behaviors and beliefs that are not conformed or submissive to the Lord. How do you feel as you consider this scene?
Whatever battles you are engaged in right now, rest assured that the Lord will ultimately triumph and that the Lord’s army will tackle those problems with you.
What battles or problems can you turn over to him now for his intercession and judgment?
Prayer & Journaling:
Stay with God for a little longer. Continue to converse with God and listen to what he wants to tell me. Then write down any thought and/or prayer in the “Spiritual Journal” book.
1 Be not silent, O God of my praise!
2 For wicked and deceitful mouths are opened against me,
speaking against me with lying tongues.
6 Appoint a wicked man against him;
let an accuser stand at his right hand.
7 When he is tried, let him come forth guilty;
let his prayer be counted as sin!
8 May his days be few;
may another take his office!
9 May his children be fatherless
and his wife a widow!
10 May his children wander about and beg,
seeking food far from the ruins they inhabit!
11 May the creditor seize all that he has;
may strangers plunder the fruits of his toil!
12 Let there be none to extend kindness to him,
nor any to pity his fatherless children!
13 May his posterity be cut off;
may his name be blotted out in the second generation!
14 May the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the Lord,
and let not the sin of his mother be blotted out!
15 Let them be before the Lord continually,
that he may cut off the memory of them from the earth!
21 But you, O God my Lord,
deal on my behalf for your name’s sake;
because your steadfast love is good, deliver me!
22 For I am poor and needy,
and my heart is stricken within me.
23 I am gone like a shadow at evening;
I am shaken off like a locust.
24 My knees are weak through fasting;
my body has become gaunt, with no fat.
25 I am an object of scorn to my accusers;
when they see me, they wag their heads.
26 Help me, O Lord my God!
Save me according to your steadfast love!
27 Let them know that this is your hand;
you, O Lord, have done it!
28 Let them curse, but you will bless!
They arise and are put to shame, but your servant will be glad!
29 May my accusers be clothed with dishonor;
may they be wrapped in their own shame as in a cloak!
30 With my mouth I will give great thanks to the Lord;
I will praise him in the midst of the throng.
31 For he stands at the right hand of the needy one,
to save him from those who condemn his soul to death.
Reflection
Puzzled and distraught, David listed the crimes of those who wanted to kill him for they returned attack for kindness, tried to corrupt the court, wished for the ruin of his family and lied constantly. So, David wanted God to turn the evil back toward his enemies, to curse and shame them. He appealed to God’s steadfast love and care for the poor and the needy and prayed for his vindication. But he left justice in God’s hands rather than acting vengefully on his own. This is a valuable lesson for us today.
For most of us, anger is not a comfortable emotion. We know the damage that anger can do, the pain it can cause. We know that we have been hurt, and anger feeds our desire to hurt back. Feeling anger and expressing it honestly to God and to others makes it possible for us to continue growing toward forgiveness.
What do you usually do when you are angry with someone who is important to you? What anger do you want to express to God today?
How would expressing your anger to God be helpful to you? How can other people be helpful to you in your struggle with anger?
Prayer & Journaling:
Stay with God for a little longer. Continue to converse with God and listen to what he wants to tell me. Then write down any thought and/or prayer in the “Spiritual Journal” book.
108 My heart is steadfast, O God!
I will sing and make melody with all my being!
2 Awake, O harp and lyre!
I will awake the dawn!
3 I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples;
I will sing praises to you among the nations.
4 For your steadfast love is great above the heavens;
your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.
5 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens!
Let your glory be over all the earth!
6 That your beloved ones may be delivered,
give salvation by your right hand and answer me!
7 God has promised in his holiness:
“With exultation I will divide up Shechem
and portion out the Valley of Succoth.
8 Gilead is mine; Manasseh is mine;
Ephraim is my helmet,
Judah my scepter.
9 Moab is my washbasin;
upon Edom I cast my shoe;
over Philistia I shout in triumph.”
10 Who will bring me to the fortified city?
Who will lead me to Edom?
11 Have you not rejected us, O God?
You do not go out, O God, with our armies.
12 Oh grant us help against the foe,
for vain is the salvation of man!
13 With God we shall do valiantly;
it is he who will tread down our foes.
Reflection
David began this psalm, which is a prayer for help against Israel’s enemies, with an expression of total confidence in the Lord. David’s very petition was worship, for he knew that “your steadfast love is great above the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the clouds”.
God has promised the victory that David claimed. To “cast my shoe” (v9) represented Israel’s domination of a humbled and submissive Moab. David, even before the battle, so relied on the covenant commitment of God to be with Israel’s armies, that he spoke as if the victories were already won.
This is a great expression of dependence on God and trust in Him for the deliverance He promised. We who are God’s people should face our spiritual enemies with the same humility and confidence.
How has God’s provision or rescue for you in the past give you hope for the future?
Prayer & Journaling:
Stay with God for a little longer. Continue to converse with God and listen to what he wants to tell me. Then write down any thought and/or prayer in the “Spiritual Journal” book.
