A Psalm of Exaltation

     “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles! Laud Him, all you peoples! For His merciful kindness is great toward us, and the truth of the Lord endures forever.” Psalm 117

     I have often heard it said that praise is not merely words but a condition of the heart. Though this is not a long psalm, the Psalmist gives us a simple but powerful reminder of what God has done and who He is.

     The first reason we should praise is “for His merciful kindness is great toward us.” Not only is God kind to us in His words and deeds but He is merciful, which is a compassion, care, and forgiveness towards us that we could never earn, nor do we deserve.

     The second reason that praises should be on our lips is because “the truth of the Lord endures forever.” Truth never changes and in a society that says otherwise, we have stability and peace knowing our God never changes. When we wander from the truth life gets unsteady, we flounder, we get lost, and confusion rules the day. Our “gods” or idols keep us on an everchanging cycle that never stays the same. With Jesus there are lines, rules, and order; truth rules the day, and truth will always stand the test of time.

Author’s Personal Application:

     Another reason I can praise the Lord is as I reflect on this first year of FSATAT. I know that in my own life God has used this to challenge, stretch, and mold me. I hope it has encouraged you this past year as well! I am blessed by all God has done in and through it, and I see His handiwork in it all.

Prayer:

     Lord, we thank You for all You have done in our lives. We thank You for Your merciful kindness and that You do not change; You are truly too good to us. Lastly, we thank You for this first year of FSATAT, and we pray that You would be over each and every step of this coming year.