If there is one gift to God for which we should praise Him, it is the gift of His Son as our Savior. Quite naturally the Old Testament saints could not do that the way we can. For Christ was not yet born, and His cross had not yet become the altar on which He was sacrificed for our sins. Nevertheless in essence all the saints, from Adam onward and in every nation and people, did and should praise God for that precious, all-important gift.
Note once again that in Psalm 117 we are told to praise God for His merciful kindness and for the fact that His truth endureth forever. All of God's merciful kindness is in Christ. And the truth concerning Him and what He did for us will never wear out or become out-of-date.
What mercy it was for God to give up His only begotten Son Whom He loved with all His infinite being. How can we ever brush aside that evidence of God's mercy? How kind He was to place all the punishment which we deserve on His Son! How great then is that merciful kindness! So great it is that it will never run out but "endureth forever."
But note that linked with that mercy is His truth. Our versification explains this when it states:
All men on earth that live.
To God all glory give,
Praise ye the Lord;
His loving kindness bless,
His constant faithfulness
And changeless truth confess;
Praise ye the Lord.
God is faithful, true to His word; and He is this because He is changeless. He is Jehovah, the I AM, Who is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
Upon His word we can depend. His merciful kindness once bestowed upon us will never be removed. What a reason therefore we have for praising Him. And here in our versification is the beautiful explanation of our praising Him. It is ascribing all glory to Him. For praising God is telling Him that He is glorious. It is ascribing all glow to Him. And glory is the radiation, the shining forth, of virtue.
Praise Him then for supplying all your earthly needs; but by all means praise Him for the gift of His Son and the salvation in Him.
Read: Psalm 100
Psalter versification: #316
(Words and Music of the Psalter)
Meditations on the Heidelberg Catechism
Through the Bible in One Year
Read today:
Judges 1; Judges 2:1-9
Luke 21:29-38; Luke 22:1-13
Psalm 90; Psalm 91:1-16
Proverbs 13:24-25
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Quote for Reflection:
… the eunuch setteth Christ alone before his eyes. The eunuch knew before that there was one God, who had made the covenant with Abraham, who gave the law by the hand of Moses, which separated one people from the other nations, who promised Christ, through whom he would be merciful to the world. Now he confesseth that Jesus Christ is that Redeemer of the world, and the Son of God; under which title he comprehendeth briefly all those things which the Scripture attributeth to Christ. This is the perfect faith whereof Philip spake of late, which receiveth Christ, both as he was promised in times past, and also showed at length, and that with the earnest affection of the heart, as Paul will not have this faith to be feigned. Whosoever hath not this when he is grown up, in vain doth he boast of the baptism of his infancy. -- John Calvin
Additional Info
- Date: 23-April
