Thoughts for the Day

Universal Call to Worship

Praise the Lord, all you nations!
Extol him, all you peoples!
For great is his steadfast love towards us,
and the faithfulness of the Lord endures for ever.
Praise the Lord!

(Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

Today, we have the shortest psalm, Psalm 117, yet it has much to teach us. Martin Luther who was a priest, theologian, author, hymnwriter, professor, and Augustinian friar, and one of the most important figures in the Protestant Reformation, wrote 36 pages on this tiny psalm. He says 'This is a prophecy concerning Christ; that all peoples out of all kingdoms and islands, shall know Christ in his kingdom .... where mercy and grace, and the remission of sins, and eternal life, and everlasting consolation, shall be preached against sin, death, the power of the devil, and all evil.'

Saint Paul in his letter to the Romans also refers to psalm 117, because the message was simply too big for his Jewish readers to understand (Romans 15.7-12). Paul argues that the writer of Psalm 117, knows that the Messiah will come to save all nations, that is, all Gentiles as well as Jews.

As if that wasn't enough, Luther also points out that the Kingdom of God is not just an earthly kingdom, but is heavenly and eternal, and we might say, spiritual. Through our faith we are made whole again, not because of any action of our own. And because of all this - because of God's love for us - we should praise God each day!

Heavenly Father,
we praise You for Your creation;
for Your plans which include all nations;
both Jew and Gentile.
We thank You for Your promise to Abraham
that he would be the father of nations.
May we be worthy of our calling
as Your beloved children,
and never forget that we are
restored to wholeness through faith.
Amen.