In Psalm 111, King David offers praise to the LORD for who He is, and reminds us of His many acts of faithfulness. We have become accustomed to these somewhat brief offerings of David that most assuredly were songs of praise for worship.
Psalm 112 is anonymous. Its purpose is to affirm the LORD’s blessing on the righteous and generous. In extensive detail the psalmist affirms the blessings will extend to them and their children. The last verse offers a brief explanation of what happens to the wicked–even with such a brief explanation, we most certainly don’t want to find ourselves on the wrong side of the LORD!
Psalm 113 is a psalm of praise, which focuses on the LORD’s goodness, and particularly His goodness to the poor and the widow. Throughout the Bible, the LORD makes it clear while He loves us all, and has compassion for us all, He holds a special compassion for the poor, the fatherless, and the widow. This reminds us we are also called to show compassion for the poor, fatherless and widowed in our lives.
Psalm 114 is a brief psalm of praise celebrating the LORD’s deliverance of Jacob from Egypt, and His establishment of the people of Judah and Israel. The psalm uses vivid imagery stating the Red Sea and Jordan “fled” from the Lord, as did the mountains and hills. The implication is His deliverance of His people was supernatural. We can be sure His supernatural protection is on us as well, because as the author of the Hebrews reminded us: God (specifically Jesus Christ) is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
Psalm 115 is another anonymous psalm of praise. The identifying trait of this psalm is how the author reminds us of the futility of worshiping idols. He tells us they have eyes, but can’t see, mouths, but can’t speak, and other futile body parts as well. He tells us those who worship them will be like them. The practical nature of this reminder can’t be overstated. Only a living God can impact our lives. That’s why it is so vital for us to worship the one true and living God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit!
As we return to Luke 2, the verse I want to emphasize is Luke 2:20: 20The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them. Luke 2:20 (NLT) The key phrase is “just as the angel had told them.” Often in our lives we look forward to something we have been led to believe will be amazing, perhaps a vacation, a new book, a sporting event, a worship experience, you name it. When the experience comes, it seldom lives up to the build up. But when the shepherds returned to their flocks after seeing Jesus, who they found lying in the manger of a stable in Bethlehem, they glorified God, because everything they experienced was just as they had been told. In our lives, we can be sure Jesus will live up to the build up. He is the only one we can rely on to be faithful and everything we anticipate Him to be 100% of the time. The key is to commit to living the opportunities He gives us, another way of saying to obey Him, and He will live up to the build up!