A Psalm of Praise.
117 Praise the Lord, all nations;
Laud Him, all peoples!
2 For His lovingkindness [a]is great toward us,
And the [b]truth of the Lord is everlasting.
[c]Praise [d]the Lord!
This is the shortest psalm and the shortest chapter in all the Bible. Yet it contains bits that are repeated throughout many of the psalms. Over and over, the psalmists encourage us to praise the Lord, to “laud” Him or lift Him high and exalt Him. Why? Because of His lovingkindness and truth. These two things are repeated over and over and over… and over.
They emphasize a simple truth that I think is too easy to overlook. We praise and love God because of who He is. We aren’t in it for the blessings–so many times we are admonished to examine our hearts. To see whether we do things for God out of selfish motive, or out of a pure and selfless heart. Absolutely, God’s blessings are real, and what He has done for us is beyond compare.
I think this is a crucial failing of the Israelites, as they focused too much on what God would do for them. He promised to do things for them, to bless their land and family and more, if they would serve Him. But you can’t have that kind of devotion, the kind of devotion that God desires, if it is all about what the other person does for you. Those deeds flow naturally out of love, just as God’s sacrifice for us is born out of His lovingkindness.
Think of your spouse, or your family, or your friends. Do you only hang out with them, do you only care for them, because of what they do for you? If so, that isn’t healthy, and you need help. Rather, we love those around us for who they are, for their character, their personality, for the inner most parts of their being. So we ought to be with God, and thus we come full circle to the truth. God is love, and He desires a relationship with us.
That may seem weird, when you can’t see Him, can’t embrace Him physically, etc. Yet nothing is more natural for our souls, because we were made for that relationship. No other being on this earth has the capacity for love and emotion that God gave us. And no one else can take His place in our lives. We are meant for Him and He is for us. Praise Him, adore Him, laud and exalt Him… for what He’s done? Sure, but mostly, for who He is to you.