Year 5, Day 245: Psalm 116-117

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Discipleship Focus: Up

• Up: Up is the word we use for what we worship.  If we are following God’s will, God will occupy the Up position.  Our life, our identity, our mission, our family on mission is all derived from Up.  This is why God needs to be in our Up position.

How about a third day for focusing on Up?  I think Up is a natural for these two psalms.  Of course, Psalm 117 is all of 28 words long, so it doesn’t have too many themes to pick from.  Each of those 28 words is focused on Up, though.  It calls us to praise God.  It calls us to extol His name.  Yes, Psalm 117 is most definitely about Up.

Psalm 116 is a slightly different story.  Psalm 116 begins by talking about how the psalmist loves God because of how God’s hand is at work in His life.  Then, the psalmist continues by talking about all of God’s characteristics.  But if we look at the end of Psalm 116 we can see that all of this turns us to the worship of God.

What shall I render to the Lord?  What can I give to the Lord?  What do I have that the Lord cannot have on His own?

The answer is simple.  I can give God my worship.  Yes, He doesn’t need it.  God is still God whether I worship Him or not.  But it is what I can give to Him.  I can turn to God and lift Him up and proclaim His name as great.  I can focus on Him and what He has done in my life.  That’s what Psalm 116 is all about.

<><