Psalm 117 — Laud him all ye peoples

1 O praise the LORD, all ye nations;
Laud him, all ye peoples.
2 For his mercy is great toward us;
And the truth of the LORD endureth for ever.
Praise ye the LORD.

What a delightful little psalm. Nestled between two long psalms full of complex ideas, psalm 117 certainly does not overwhelm with its quantity of words. It can prove daunting in its message, nevertheless.

"Praise the Lord! ... Laud him," is the cry. No uncommon refrain, certainly. Why then does this psalm need its own place? I think it may lie in who is called to praise the Lord. When we read this psalm we invite all the world to Praise: "all the nations ... all ye peoples."

Mankind is ever in need of that which can bind us together because we are forever interested in division. By my pride & selfishness I push anyone who is different down. As I gather my own select group around me we strive to make differences concrete & stable. Yet God calls us together. God, the creator of nature, reveals what ought to be our nature: brotherhood, not division.

Little though the psalm may be, it calls us, and those to whom we appeal, to great things. Let us praise God. Together, let us praise God, because he is ever merciful and his truths endure. Let us, then praise him together.