Sunday Scripture

As I mentioned some time ago, I'll be posting each Sunday for awhile about a simple study of Psalms that I worked on last summer.  It was such a good one to be working on in 2020 -- and some of it was done at picnic tables as we camped at places like Grand Canyon and Coral Pink Sand Dunes.  There just couldn't have been a better backdrop --so awe-inspiring and so many great reminders of how amazing God is!

This Psalms study is another from Good Morning Girls.  These are simple studies but I got so much from them.  I like to use the SOAP method of Bible study, and the journal from GMG uses a very similar method.  I find it a real blessing whether I am studying shorter passages or longer ones, and I hope that you will give this method a try if you haven't ever done so.  

Today's study is from Psalm 117.  The verse we were to focus on was verse 1, but since Psalm 117 is only two verses long, I opted to study both of them.

S= "Oh, praise the LORD, all ye nations; praise Him, all ye people.
      "For His merciful kindness is great toward us; and the truth of the LORD endureth forever.  Praise ye the Lord."  (Psalm 117)

O= In the Scofield Reference Bible, C.I. Scofield has titled this psalm "The universal praise of God".  A cross-reference is found in Romans 15:11 -- "[As it is written,] Praise the Lord, all ye nations; and laud Him, all ye peoples."

The psalmist directs that all nations and all peoples praise the LORD.  What are they to praise Him for?
* His merciful kindness is great toward us.
* His truth endures forever.

A= I'm sure that the truth of this psalm will not be fully realized in this life.  But it did occur to me that if all peoples, in all nations, were focusing on praise to God, and seeking to live their lives in ways that praise and glorify Him, that we would not be having the problems that we do between nations.  

Still, individual believers can praise Him for His merciful kindness to them, and also for the enduring truth of His Word! 

P=  "Lord, I am so thankful for Your merciful kindness in drawing me to Yourself!  I praise You also for the enduring truth of Your Word.  It is such a blessing to be reminded that Your truth endures forever and that we can continually rest on Your unchanging Word and character.  I pray for the day to come soon when all people and all nations will praise You together.  Even so, "haste the day when our faith shall be sight", as the hymn writer has said.  In Jesus' name, Amen."

This study also had a Reflection Question which I answered.  Here is the question:

God is faithful and worthy of all our praise for many reasons.  One of those reasons is His love for all the nations.  How have you seen God's love for the nations displayed?

And my answer:

I have seen God's love for the nations displayed in His sending His Son to die for all.  In addition, He has given each nation the natural beauty of His creation, and the heavens declaring His glory, to point them to Him.  In many instances, He has also sent missionaries and Bible translators to give the nations the truth of His Word in a language they can understand.

Let's praise the Lord together for His merciful kindness and enduring truth!