June 16, 2017

THE REMEDY FOR TRIALS AND THE FOUNDATION FOR FAITHFULNESS

Psalm 111

Lance Thrailkill
Friday's Devo

June 16, 2017

Friday's Devo

June 16, 2017

Central Truth

By praising God for who He is and what He has done, we remind ourselves of His goodness and sovereignty and are able to find joy and peace regardless of the circumstances. This leaves us in awe and reverence of Him, which is the foundation for following Him faithfully!

Key Verse | Psalm 111:1

Praise the Lord!
I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart,
in the company of the upright, in the congregation.
(Psalm 111:1)

Psalm 111

Great Are the LORD's Works

1 111:1 This psalm is an acrostic poem, each line beginning with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet Praise the LORD!
I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart,
    in the company of the upright, in the congregation.
Great are the works of the LORD,
    studied by all who delight in them.
Full of splendor and majesty is his work,
    and his righteousness endures forever.
He has caused his wondrous works to be remembered;
    the LORD is gracious and merciful.
He provides food for those who fear him;
    he remembers his covenant forever.
He has shown his people the power of his works,
    in giving them the inheritance of the nations.
The works of his hands are faithful and just;
    all his precepts are trustworthy;
they are established forever and ever,
    to be performed with faithfulness and uprightness.
He sent redemption to his people;
    he has commanded his covenant forever.
    Holy and awesome is his name!
10  The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom;
    all those who practice it have a good understanding.
    His praise endures forever!

Footnotes

[1] 111:1 This psalm is an acrostic poem, each line beginning with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet

Dive Deeper | Psalm 111

This psalm was written to be sung collectively in corporate worship, and it perfectly illustrates what Pastor Todd Wagner faithfully reminds us is the purpose of the corporate gathering of the body. The opening, “Praise the Lord! I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart . . . ” (verse 1), reminds me of worshiping at a church in Ethiopia where the members exemplify the idea of praising enthusiastically with all their heart. There is just something so freeing about praising God like that!

For those of us who have experienced praising God with that level of enthusiasm, it typically occurs when we are alone in our car with the music blasting or at home when no one is around. In those moments, all of our worries and problems seem to fade away as we take our eyes off ourselves and our circumstances and look to Him who has the power to work all things together for our good. True joy is rooted in the goodness of God, regardless of the circumstances.  

This is the purpose of our corporate gathering: that we would come together and praise Him for who He is, what He has done, and what He promises to those who follow Him. Then after we have reminded ourselves of His goodness and that His instruction is meant to give us abundant life, we leave with our hearts and minds postured correctly to be able to follow Him more effectively. This same routine should happen daily in our prayer life, and it has been essential to my wife and me as we have been struggling to become pregnant. By consistently reminding ourselves of God’s goodness and sovereignty, we are able to find peace and comfort in His plans for us.

The psalm closes by stating in verse 10a: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” After declaring the truths of God’s character in praise, we should have such awe and reverence of Him that we fear missing out on His goodness and His plans for us. This psalm not only shows the remedy for trials, but also the foundation for faithfulness.

Discussion Questions

1. Verse 9a says, "He sent redemption to his people; he has commanded his covenant forever." At the time, this was referencing God rescuing and protecting the people of Israel, but God has since provided eternal redemption through the perfect sacrifice of His Son Jesus Christ. Nothing I mentioned above is possible unless you have surrendered your life to Jesus and accepted His gift of eternal life through His death and resurrection. Have you made this decision yet? If not, please reach out to me at lance@ametals.com! Nothing would bless me more than talking with you about making that decision.  

2. Have you ever praised God with all of your heart? If not, I beg you to do it! It probably looks different for everyone, but I challenge you to get alone, blast your favorite worship song, and sing it at the top of your lungs! (You can thank me later!)

3. Does your daily prayer life consist of you thanking God for who He is and what He has done in your life? If not, then why? Start today by simply writing down everything you are thankful for and thanking God for each as they come to mind. 

4. What is the foundation of your wisdom or the basis that you use to make your decisions? If it is not God's Word, ask yourself, "Why not?"