Read Psalm 111
1 Praise the Lord.
I will extol the Lord with all my heart
in the council of the upright and in the assembly.
2 Great are the works of the Lord;
they are pondered by all who delight in them.
3 Glorious and majestic are his deeds,
and his righteousness endures forever.
4 He has caused his wonders to be remembered;
the Lord is gracious and compassionate.
5 He provides food for those who fear him;
he remembers his covenant forever.
6 He has shown his people the power of his works,
giving them the lands of other nations.
7 The works of his hands are faithful and just;
all his precepts are trustworthy.
8 They are established for ever and ever,
enacted in faithfulness and uprightness.
9 He provided redemption for his people;
he ordained his covenant forever—
holy and awesome is his name.
10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;
all who follow his precepts have good understanding.
To him belongs eternal praise.
Go Deeper
Psalm 111 is a reminder of God’s faithfulness to His people. In Genesis 12, God made a covenant with Abraham that promised him land, seed (offspring) and blessing. God keeps His word as He fulfills His covenant. Throughout this passage, we see God keep His promises, true to His word time and time again. The Lord remains faithful to His people and provides food, inheritance, and redemption. God has lifted His people up to display His splendor and glory.
The passage begins with a posture of gratitude. From this gratitude, David is moved to give thanks to the Lord. He describes the work of the Lord: gracious, merciful, full of splendor and majesty, righteous, powerful, faithful, just, and trustworthy. These are not just things God does, this is the character of our Savior. He is worthy of our praise as we remember His wonderful works.
Our God is not fickle in His promises to us. He does not hesitate to restore our brokenness. He is trustworthy. He is keeping His covenant as He consistently acts to rescue His people. This is the God we serve—a promise maker and promise keeper, a Holy God who delights in showing Himself even in the small things, and a rescuer of our sinful hearts.
All throughout the Word of God, we are encouraged to remember who God is and how He has worked in our lives. Joshua 4 is a practical example of stones of remembrance. In verses 6 and 7 we read, “When your children ask in time to come, ‘What do those stones mean to you?’ then you shall tell them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it passed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. So these stones shall be to the people of Israel a memorial forever.” This is how the people of Israel reflected on God’s fulfillment and faithfulness to them.
Another tangible way we are called to remember is Luke 22:19-20: “And He took bread, and gave thanks, and broke it, and gave unto them, saying, ‘This is my body which is given for you: do this in remembrance of me.’ Likewise, also the cup after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.’” Remembering what God has done for us is our opportunity to praise Him.
Questions
- How can you tangibly reflect on God’s faithfulness in your life? Is it writing on physical stones? Keeping a gratitude journal? Telling your Life Group of ways God has redeemed you?
- Psalm 111:1 says “I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart.” How is your heart divided? What else reigns in your heart that keeps you from wholeheartedly giving your thanks and praise to God?
- “In design, in size, in number, in excellence, all the works of the Lord are great. Even the little things of God are great” (Spurgeon). How has God shown himself in the small things to you?
A Quote
“Faith deals with the invisible things of God. It refuses to be ruled by the physical senses. Faith is able to say, ‘You can do what you like, because I know God is going to take care of me. He has promised to bless me wherever he leads me.’ Remember that even when every demon in hell stands against us, the God of Abraham remains faithful to all his promises. Jesus Christ can do anything but fail his own people who trust him.”–Jim Cymbala
6 responses to “Psalm 111”
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow His instructions have good insight. His praise endures forever.
Psalms 111:10 HCSB
The first half of verse 10 is general and the second half is practical and specific. It answers the question of, “How do we fear God in order to gain wisdom?” Here is how, follow His instruction, do His commandments, honor Him with all your life. Do not do this just in words but also in deeds as well. When we align our heart and ways with God then we will receive spiritual wisdom and victory through Christ.
This is missing in church. The fruit of the spirit should be evident when we follow His instructions and commandments. Maybe you accepted Jesus as Lord and have ask for that forgiveness but we are not understanding the immense cost that Jesus paid for us. If we did, fear, respect, reverence would follow, obedience would flourish, and we would experience victory and fruitfulness. Life throws us curve balls BUT GOD has made our way. Are you following?
God thank You for being with me during the curving season of my life. God thank You for helping me to better follow Your instructions and commandments so that I can honor You with my life. God I want my heart aligned to Yours so that Your spiritual wisdom I can hear with that shema hearing. God I want to be an fruit filled person who loves You, is obedient to You and shows others how and who You are. God help me not fear man but instead be bold in my faith and love. God today in these minutes of this day let my life glorify and honor You in Jesus name amen.
WOOHOO!!!
Yes, this topic of “fearing” God is so important, but so complex!
I’m noting the character of God expressed in this psalm as one who is:
•righteous (v3)
•gracious (v4)
•compassionate (v4)
•provider (5)
•powerful (v6)
•faithful (7)
•just (v7)
•trustworthy (7)
•upright (8)
•redeemer (9)
•holy (9)
•awesome (9)
That’s who our God is! We can confidently place our faith in him, “to him belongs eternal praise” (v10).
Amen!
God let our hearts not be divided in our worship to you. Rid my distractions and the guilt that I hold onto. You deserve the whole of me and nothing less. Thank you for showing up in my life in the big and small ways.
10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;
all who follow his precepts have good understanding.
To him belongs eternal praise
10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;
This concept of “the fear of the Lord” is repeated several times throughout the Bible. I best pay attention!