THE LORD DOING WONDERS
Opening Prayer
Morning by morning new mercies I see; / All I have needed Thy hand hath provided – / Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!1
Read Psalm 111
1 Praise the Lord.[b]
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.
Footnotes
- Psalm 111:1 This psalm is an acrostic poem, the lines of which begin with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet.
- Psalm 111:1 Hebrew Hallelu Yah
New International Version (NIV)Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
Think of a story in the Bible with flawed characters. Pretty easy to come up with one, isn’t it?The human beings in God’s story are flawed and untrustworthy, but the Lord is gracious and compassionate, providing for His people, remembering His covenant, showing His power, and giving them the lands of other nations.
Read through the psalm again, noting the number of times the psalmist uses the phrases ‘forever’ and ‘eternal.’ Because God is eternal – He is not subject to the world’s changing philosophies and cultures. He remains steadfast and true. The aspects of His character that He revealed to Jacob thousands of years ago are the same today. Which of the statements about God in this psalm stand out for you today?
In the western world in the twenty-first century, it seems that wisdom has been lost. Popular culture espouses numerous contradictory values. Verse 10 reminds us that ‘the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom.’ How we need to pray for our
countries for people to follow God’s precepts!
1Thomas Chisholm, 1866-1960, ‘Great is Thy faithfulness’
Apply
This psalm is an acrostic poem, with each line beginning with a different letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Why not try writing your own acrostic poem, praising God for blessings He has poured into your life?
Closing prayer
Lord, call Your people back to a holy fear of You. Give wisdom to Your leaders in the church and in this nation.
Book and Author Intros
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