“All You Peoples” (Ps 117)

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. Praise the Lord.” (vs1-2)

We are to praise the Lord Jesus Christ and love Him for salvation.  He saved us by His blood, laying down His life a ransom for us, dying the excruciating death that we might be delivered.  He willingly, in love, died for us because the Father gave us to Him from the foundation of the world, guaranteeing that we’d be saved, His elect, by His blood.  He says to the Father, “I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours” (John 17:9).

He bears patiently with us now, cleanses us, teaches us, and uses us in the Kingdom, giving us the privilege of service and truth.  He is utterly good, predetermining our salvation and bringing us all the way to bliss.  He says,  “Even to your old age, I am He, and even to gray hairs I will carry you!  I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you” (Is 46:4).  He is the 100% reason that I am saved, and I’m to respond, to praise the Lord because of it, to live uprightly, to have words that match with actions.  Bless the Lord, we can’t lose because of Him and we will come forth triumphantly, like Job, when tried in the fire (Job 23:10).  

Bless the Lord with love, song, praise, and kindness to others.  Do not let His mercies make you speak only, but get REAL mercy to live mercifully with others, growing in grace, dealing honestly with yourself.

Bless the Lord EVERYONE.  He says, “Laud Him (lift Him up), all you people” (vs1). The Gentiles, the nations, the people afar off from every nation and language, you bless the Lord.  Don’t be a person who hears but doesn’t praise, who knows there is salvation, and an elect, but who doesn’t believe God and enter in, taking the water life freely, forsaking all to follow Him! Praise Him at His command.  He bids you to the feast and He warns you of wrath (Matt 22:1-10).

We are not to let anything destroy our praise.  He says, “For His merciful kindness is great toward us, and the truth of the Lord endures forever.  Praise the Lord (vs2)!”  Praise Him because of who He is, no matter what becomes of you.