STEVE WEBB - 0:00  
Forever is a long, long time.

INTRO S12E273 - 0:10  
Coming to you from Riverside, California, this is the Lifespring Family Audio Bible, and podcasting since 2004, I'm your OG Godcaster, Steve Webb. This is the daily show where we are reading through the entire Bible in a year. Yesterday’s show was along with what we're catching up with my health report and catching up on notes and donations. So this will be a short one. Today's Wednesday, so we'll read from the Psalms, chapters 117 and 118. I'll have an introduction for each chapter and then some comments after the reading. And of course, there'll be an On This Date In Church History segment. I'm calling today's episode “God's Enduring Love”. If you'd like to comment on the show, please do so at lifespringmedia.com/s12e273. And I don't have a new email address, steve@lifespringmedia.com. Let's get started. 

COMMENTS ON PSALMS 117 - 0:59  
Just a reminder that the Psalms from 113 to 118 make up what is known as the Egyptian Hallel. Psalms 113 and 114 were sung before the Passover meal, and Psalms 115 through 118 were sung after the meal. Psalm 117 is the shortest psalm and the shortest chapter in the entire Bible, but Martin Luther wrote 36 pages about it. He wrote about four aspects of the psalm: Prophecy, Revelation, Instruction and Admonition. See if you can pick out how these apply as we read it. 

PSALM 117 (NLV) - 1:50  
Psalms, chapter 117. (1) Praise the Lord, all nations! Praise Him, all people! (2) For His loving-kindness toward us is great. And the truth of the Lord lasts forever. Praise the Lord!

COMMENTS ON PSALM 118 - 2:05  
There is no attribution as to who the author is of Psalm 118, but King David is generally accepted as the writer. But thinking of Jesus singing this psalm after his last Passover meal, and just before he was betrayed, one could also say that this is the Messiah’s song. Of this psalm, G. Campbell Morgan wrote, “This is pre-eminently the triumph song of the Christ, He the ideal Servant, He the perfect Priest, He the Leader of the people. How much all these words meant to Him as He sang them on that night in the upper room.” 

PSALMS 118 (NLV) - 2:41  
Psalms, chapter 118. (1) Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. His loving-kindness lasts forever. (2) Let Israel say, “His loving-kindness lasts forever.” (3) Let the house of Aaron say, “His loving-kindness lasts forever.” (4) Let those who fear the Lord say, “His loving-kindness lasts forever.”

(5) I cried to the Lord in my trouble, and He answered me and put me in a good place. (6) The Lord is with me. I will not be afraid of what man can do to me. (7) The Lord is with me. He is my Helper. I will watch those lose who fight against me. (8) It is better to trust in the Lord than to trust in man. (9) It is better to trust in the Lord than to trust in rulers.

(10) All nations gathered around me. But I cut them off in the name of the Lord. (11) They gathered around me. Yes, they were on every side. But I cut them off in the name of the Lord. (12) They were all around me like bees and they died out fast like burning thorns. I will destroy them in the name of the Lord. (13) You pushed me back so that I was falling, but the Lord helped me. (14) The Lord is my strength and my song. He is the One Who saves me.

(15) The joy of being saved is being heard in the tents of those who are right and good. The right hand of the Lord does powerful things. (16) The Lord’s right hand is lifted high. The right hand of the Lord does powerful things. (17) I will not die but live. And I will tell of what the Lord has done. (18) The Lord has punished me but He has not given me over to death.

(19) Open to me the gates of what is right and good. I will go through them and give thanks to the Lord. (20) This is the gate of the Lord. Those who are right with God will pass through it. (21) I will give thanks to You, for You have answered me. And You are the One Who saves me.

(22) The stone that was put aside by the workmen has become the most important stone in the building. (23) The Lord has done this. We think it is great! (24) This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us be full of joy and be glad in it. (25) O Lord, we beg You to save us! O Lord, we ask that You let everything go well for us! (26) Great and honored is he who comes in the name of the Lord. We honor you from the house of the Lord. (27) The Lord is God. He has given us light. Tie the gift with rope to the horns of the altar on this special day. (28) You are my God and I will give You thanks. You are my God and I will praise You. (29) Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. His loving-kindness lasts forever. 

COMMENTS ON PSALM 117 - 5:17  
I've got some comments on Psalm 117. I told you that Martin Luther wrote about four different aspects of the psalm even though it was so short, he wrote 36 pages about it. Here are the four aspects that Martin Luther addressed. Number one, Prophecy. The Psalm tells us that the Gentiles will be included in God's plan of redemption. Number two, Revelation. The psalm told us that the Messiah’s Kingdom is heavenly and eternal, not earthly. And also there was some instruction in the psalm that tells us that we were saved by grace alone, not by works, holiness or wisdom. And the fourth thing was, there was an admonition in the psalm. Because of these things, we should praise the Lord.

Now, not only is chapter 117, the shortest chapter in the Bible, it's also smack dab in the center. And what's really amazing about this psalm is this, the writer wrote something that could not have been accepted by the Jews. Why? Well, because it says, “Praise the Lord, all nations! Praise Him, all people!”

You see, unless you were circumcised, to the Jew, you could not join in praising the Lord, when this Psalm was written.

This chapter at the very heart of the Bible, revealed the heart of God. This was a peek at the gospel message. Paul, in the book of Romans, chapter 15, even used this short chapter as a proof to the Jews, that God's love was for the Gentiles as much as it was for the Jews. That is, indeed Good News.

But the message of Psalm 117 does not end there. It says, “For His loving-kindness toward us is great.” I like the way the King James says it: “For his merciful kindness is great toward us.” Beloved, we should praise him because his merciful loving-kindness is great toward us. Do we deserve it? No, but his merciful kindness is great toward us. That's the truth. And the truth of the Lord lasts forever. It will never change. It will never waver. He won't change his mind. Forever is a long, long time.

And then the psalm ends with the only response we should have to this life changing truth. Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. He deserves our praise. He who created all that is. He who holds your life and mine in his strong right hand loves you and He loves me. And that will never change. Praise the Lord.

I'd love to hear your thoughts. Go to lifespringmedia.com/s12e273 and let me know.

Tomorrow is Poetry Thursday, and we'll read Proverbs 28.

Boost!

ON THIS DATE IN CHURCH HISTORY - 8:11  
On this date in church history, June 1, 1841, Scottish missionary David Livingstone departs for Africa to become a missionary explorer. He ultimately penetrated the deepest reaches of the continent where he proclaimed the good news. Dr. Livingstone, I presume.

PRAYER REQUESTS - 8:36  
Prayer requests. You might remember this prayer request from Kirsty three weeks ago. She wrote in, “We have a new baby boy due into our family in the next two weeks, and COVID is hitting Perth pretty hard. Please pray that my brother and his family don't get it or he'll miss the birth of his baby. And also that me and my family don't get it. I'm babysitting the toddler while the new baby’s being born. Thanks,” she said. Well, early this morning, she sent this in. “Praise report! We all stayed COVID-free and baby Theodore was born safe and sound last week,” and she sent a smiling emoji with hearts. She said, “Thanks for all the prayers.” Well, Kirsty, thank you for sending in the update. God is good. Let Theodore know we're rejoicing that he was born without incident. And let his family know that we joined them in praising the Lord for His protection and their new family member.

CLOSING PRAYER – 09:11
So let's pray. Our heavenly Father, Psalm 118 said, “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. His loving-kindness lasts forever.” And we do give you thanks, Lord, because you are faithful to your promise of grace. It's good to be yours and we do worship You. We thank you for the birth a little Theodore, Father, and we pray that your hand would be upon him, his parents and the entire family. As he grows, Lord, we pray for wisdom for mom and dad, and that he would draw them all closer to you, and may Theodore grow up to be a man of God. I thank you, Lord for the Lifespring family. Bless them today. And may we all look to you for our needs because you are our supply, our strength, our very breath. I pray this in Jesus name, amen.

If you've got a praise or a prayer request, please go to prayer.lifespringmedia.com

OUTRO S12E273 - 10:25  
Please do share the show and comment on the show at lifespringmedia.com/s12e273. Email me at steve@lifespringmedia.com. Kirsty, Sean of San Pedro and Denise all deserve my thanks and my gratitude, and they have it. Guys, I thank God every day for you.

And I thank you, beloved, for inviting me into your life today! That an amazing privilege you’ve given me. Support the show with your time, talent or treasure. Go to lifespringmedia.com/support.

And until tomorrow, may God bless you richly. My name is Steve Webb.

Bye. 

Transcribed by https://otter.ai