As I was reading what is probably the shortest chapter in the bible (Psalm 117) I was thinking about how we use language.
In my native tongue, we often use “Prys die Here” (Praise the Lord) as a word of thanks… which it is, but it is, actually an instruction: You, person I am speaking to, Praise the Lord because He has been Good to me. Praise God with me. Give thanks with me.
Psalm 117 is sooo short, but it says so much!
Verse 1 is an instruction to those that do not know God and do not Follow God, to nonetheless praise God! The “everyone, everywhere ” literally refers to all the people and all the nations surrounding the people of God.
Verse 2 explains why:
God chased us down, and He conquered us. How did He do this? With Love! His kindness melted our hearts.
Our Father chased us down. We did not go looking for Him. We hide from God. Since the day Adam and Eve left paradise, we hid from God. No matter what we say to the world without God, and how arrogant we stand up and defy God, and no matter what we think we think about God, His existence and His care…, we hide. We are ashamed of and our actions and behaviour. Sure, we justify our way of living, but deep down, we know, and one day, it will surface.
Yet, our Father is desperate to rebuild our relationship, so He chases us down, and speaks to us the whole time. He shows kindness and loves us until we can’t ignore it anymore, until we can’t silence or drown out the voice of His Spirit.
Does He ever give up?
No. His faithfulness lasts forever. He will keep on going. He will keep on knocking, talking, asking, protecting. He will never fail you.
Do you understand what that means? To have this Protector, this Teacher, this loving Father… that literally can not fail you?! It is God’s nature. God is Love, God is Light, and in Him there is No darkness…
…and all He wants is you… just you.
And that is why the Psalmist is shouting to the nations to ‘Praise Yah’ – Praise our God for what He is for us. Not what He does, but who He is!
“Let everyone everywhere shine with praise to Yahweh!
Let it all out! Go ahead and praise him!
For he has conquered us with his great love
and his kindness has melted our hearts.
His faithfulness lasts forever and he will never fail you.
So go ahead, let it all out!
Praise Yah!
O Yah!”
(Psalm 117)
So, as we stand, nearing the end of 2020. Is all of this not true? God did not fail us. God has been Faithful, and each of us have a testimony of God’s provision during this year!
And even though I myself have fallen on my face numerous times, and even though my eyes could not see the light, and my heart was heavy, and my shoulders felt they couldn’t carry the burden one more step… here I am. My Father has been Faithful, He did not fail me… not once!
And all He still wants from me… is me.
