Praise the LORD, all nations! Extol Him, all peoples! For great is His steadfast love toward us, and the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever. Praise the Lord!
Psalm 117:1-2
Many people know the shortest verse in the Bible, John 11:35. What is it? Jesus wept. What is the shortest chapter in the Bible? Hint, hint, look above. The shortest chapter in the entire Bible is Psalm 117. It is a chapter with only two verses, two! Interestingly, it is also the middle chapter in the entire Bible as well.
Psalm 117 starts not as a command, but as an invitation. It is not just an invitation for Israel to praise the LORD, but, also, for you and me. “Praise the LORD, all nations! Extol Him, all peoples!” Did you catch that? All are included. No one is left out!
Why praise the LORD? What is the reason? “For great is His steadfast love toward us, and the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever.” God’s steadfast love is great towards us, you and me. His faithfulness endures forever. It is not dependent on me, what I do, have done, or will do. It is dependent on our loving and merciful God! It will never end, run out, dry up, or expire. His faithfulness lasts and endures forever!
How have you seen His steadfast love toward you in your life? How have you seen His unending faithfulness to you?
Is it in the daily care He provides for you? Is it in giving you a house and home, food and drink, family and friends, love and friendship? Is it in His forgiveness that He gives daily that forgives you of that sin that you have committed for the 10,000th time?
St. Paul appropriately applies and points this verse to Jesus. In Romans 15:7-13, Paul uses this verse as the basis for his missionary work to the Gentiles. It is used to help show how God’s plan of salvation has become a reality in Jesus Christ. This is how and where we see His steadfast love toward us the greatest. This is where we see how His faithfulness endures. It is in Jesus Christ, and what He has done for us, die and rise again for you and me.
What is our response to this? Simple. The last words of the psalm say it in a short and concise way: “Praise the LORD!” No wonder it is addressed to all people!
Pastor Kooi
(Originally published in Emmaus Footprints Vol. XXV No. 12 – July 2024)