Psalm 111

Teach me, O Lord, how to praise You!

The command of God to praise Him makes perfect sense. His people in the church should worship Him. All those who have been credited with the righteousness of Christ should thank Him continually with dedicated hearts. There is no good excuse to withdraw our full devotion from God.

The greatness of God compared to us is obvious, and there can be no doubt that we should thank Him and praise Him. If we find our hearts lagging behind, there is some help for us. We can begin to contemplate the Lord's great works using this acrostic poem, where every line starts with a different letter of the Hebrew alphabet.

God's works can be studied. These works are everywhere, both around us and in us. They show forth His splendor and His majesty to those who want to delight in Him.

Everything that God has done, He has accomplished in perfect righteousness. There are no moral short-cuts with Him, and no compromise of His character. Especially His saving love through the gift of His Son is very worthy of our meditation. His righteousness endures forever through the cross of Christ. On the cross, the perfect justice of God and the perfect mercy of God embrace, and our sins are forever atoned for.

The Lord has made His works to be remembered forever. His acts of creation are presented for us in the Scriptures with elegant simplicity. His mysterious providence in the history of Israel are recorded for us. They continue on to the present hour. His saving plan for all the peoples of the earth through the Son of God, the King of the Jews, is a frequent, though veiled, theme throughout the Old Testament. But now this great work of God has been made manifest through the coming of His Son, and through His cross and resurrection. Now the good news of God's salvation is being published all over the world.

The Lord is gracious and merciful! This is not a mere assertion. The story of His covenant love is fully recorded for us in the Scriptures. But we also know it in our lives. Will there be food on the table today? Will the Lord's Supper be celebrated in the worship of His people again this Sunday? The Lord provides food for those who approach Him in reverent submission. He is preparing a banquet feast for His children in the heavenly assembly. He is faithful all over the world where people call upon His Name through the One Mediator between God and man.

His statutes are great, though we have not perfectly obeyed them. But now a new Law of heavenly compassion and righteousness has come in person. Now we have seen the fullness of divine love in the cross, and the way of life is clear for us. We must follow Him. He has granted us His Holy Spirit, so that we can walk as Jesus walked with faithfulness and uprightness. Even when we fail, there is strong encouragement for all who repent and believe. We are forgiven and cleansed.

He has purchased us back from sin, death, and hell. We have been brought out of the worst house of bondage by the blood of the Lamb. It is time to draw near to Him in sincere devotion. Now we have been moved to a better understanding, not just in our minds, but in our hearts. We will worship the Lord forever through the Son of God, who is the Alpha and the Omega, and every letter in between.