Read: Psalm 117

All Nations and All Peoples

Praise the Lord, all you nations! (v. 1)
During Lent, it can be easy for me to turn inward and contemplate my own sin and my need for a savior. This posture is appropriate; I ought to bow before the Lord in humility and awe, confessing my unfaithfulness to God. And yet I shouldn’t remain kneeling in isolation. At some point, recognizing God’s steadfast love and faithfulness means that I have to stand up and join others in praising God. We can’t forget Easter.
This standing up is what Psalm 117 calls us to do: “Praise the Lord, all you nations! Extol him, all you peoples!” The good news of Jesus’ death and resurrection isn’t addressed only to the individual; it’s meant for whole nations, entire people groups. Moreover, when we experience the steadfast love of God, we should respond by joining with others and praising the Lord.
Worshiping God in that way gives us a taste of worship in the age to come. In Revelation, John sees an enormous gathering, made up of people “from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb…They cried out in a loud voice saying, ‘Salvation belongs to our God who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!’” (Rev. 7:9-10). What a marvelous picture of life in the kingdom.
So enter into Easter joy and praise him, all you nations!
—Grace Claus

Prayer: Faithful God, with people from every nation and language, we praise your glorious name!