Steve Webb 0:00 Forever is a long, long time. Steve Webb 0:03 It's the Lifespring! One Year Bible coming to you from Riverside, California one more time. and podcasting since 2004. I am your OG Godcaster. Steve Webb, this is Psalms. Wednesday, we'll read chapters 117 through 118. We'll also have a prayer segment but no essentials. Today, I'm recording this on the evening of July 4, and most of our house guests are still here. I think the final total was something like 20 people. So I had to make my exit and come into the studio here at Lifespring central to do this episode, just for you. But alas, there is no time to get an essential segment into the show today. I hope that's okay with you. The website is Lifespring media.com. and I'll have contact information at the end of today's show. Before we read, let's pray. Our heavenly Father once again we asked you to bless this time of reading your word, teach us today's we read Jesus precious name I pray, amen. All right, are you ready? Let's begin. Steve Webb 1:03 Just a reminder that the Psalms from 113 to 118 make up what is known as the Egyptian Hillel. Psalms 113 and 114. were sung before the Passover meal in Psalms 115 through 118 were sung after the meal in 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 song prophecy, Revelation, instruction and admonition, see if you can pick out how these apply as we read it. Steve Webb 1:38 Psalms chapter 117. Praise the Lord, all nations praise Him all people, for his loving kindness toward us his great and the truth of the Lord lasts forever. Praise the Lord. Steve Webb 1:53 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 song of this psalm G. Campbell, Morgan wrote, This is preeminently, the Triumph song of the Christ, ie the ideal servant, ie the perfect priest, ie the leader of the people, how much all these words meant to him, as he sang them on that night in the upper room. Steve Webb 2:29 Psalms chapter 118. Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. His loving kindness lasts forever. Let Israel say his loving kindness lasts forever. Let the house of Aaron say his loving kindness lasts forever. Let those who fear the Lord say his loving kindness lasts forever. I cried to the Lord in my trouble. and He answered me and put me in a good place. The Lord is with me, I will not be afraid of what man can do to me. The Lord is with me. He is my helper, and I will watch those loose who fight against me. It is better to trust in the LORD than to trust in man. It is better to trust in the LORD than to trust in rulers. All nations gathered around me, but I cut them off in the name of the Lord. They gathered around me, yes, they were on every side, but I cut them off in the name of the Lord. 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. You push me back so that I was falling, but the Lord helped me. The Lord is my strength and my song. He is the one who saves me the joy of being saved as being heard in the tents of those who are right in good. The right hand of the Lord does powerful things. The Lord's right hand is lifted high, the right hand of the Lord does powerful things. I will not die, but live. and I will tell you what the Lord has done. The Lord has punished me, but he has not given me over to death, opened me to the gates of what is right and good. I will go through them and give thanks to the Lord. This is the gate of the Lord. Those who are right with God will pass through it. I will give thanks to you for you have answered me, and you are the one who saves me. The stone that was put aside by the workmen has become the most important stone in the building. The Lord has done this. We think it is great. This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us be full of joy and to be glad in it. Oh Lord, we beg you to save us. Oh Lord, we ask that you let everything go well for us. Great and honored is he who comes in the name of the Lord. We honor you from the house of the Lord. The Lord is good. He has given us light. Tie the gift with rope to the horns of the altar on this special day. You are my God and I will give you thanks. You are my God and I will praise you. Give thanks to the Lord for He is good. His loving kindness lasts forever. Steve Webb 5:06 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 is Kingdom is heavenly and eternal, not earthly. and also there was some instruction in the song 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 song. 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 in 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, ye 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. Praise the Lord indeed. What are your thoughts? Do you have comments or questions? Contact information will be at the end of today's show, of course. and if you have a modern podcast app, you can comment via boostagram. Tomorrow will be poetry Thursday, and we'll read Proverbs 28. Steve Webb 8:03 Chase Jacobson came in with his monthly $20 donation today, making him today's associate producer. God bless you, Chase. Thank you. Beloved, this show is free to you and always will be. It's not behind a paywall. There are no subscription fees, nothing like that. Anywhere you are, as long as you have access to the internet, you can get the show. So why should you participate in the value for value model I talk about? Well, if you think this podcast is worthwhile, and you must since your time is valuable, and you're spending some of it listening to the show here, your donation of time, talent or treasure means I can keep producing this show for you. If you donate some of your treasure, it means I can pay a bill. It means I can invest the time to create the show for you. investing time, talent or treasure is a way for you to encourage me to keep on keepin on. It tells me that you think that what I'm doing here has value. and it helps me to share the Good News of arisen Savior literally around the world. In other words, your donation has a great deal of value to me, no matter the size. All I ask is that you give in proportion to the value you receive from the show. That's fair, isn't it? Please pray about it. Ask the Lord what he would have you do then obey His leading. That's all I ask. and then when he has spoken to you go to this website Lifespringmedia.com slash supports our thank you and I believe that God will bless you. Steve Webb 9:34 We do have some prayer requests and praises today, Sean of San Pedro and Sister Brittaney and their son little Howie are relocating to the Phoenix area this coming Saturday. Let's pray and ask the Lord to give them a safe journey and his wisdom and guidance as they settle in. They'll be looking for a new church home and everything else that comes with a move like this. They're an awesome family and I can't wait to see what God has in store for them and praise the Lord, Cassie is recovering from her surgery so well. Bryan says, Cassie has been healing well, amazing transformation, big smiles and talking loud enough to be heard across the street! Which beloved, is just tremendous because she's been for years, barely speaking at all because of the pain she was in. and Bryan has even had to remind her to take it easy because she still has a hole in her skull. It could take up to three months for that to heal. God is good. Praise the Lord. Let's pray. Our loving 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 because you are faithful to your promise of grace. It is good to be yours. and we worship You now, Lord, we pray that you would be with Shawn and his family in their move to Phoenix. and as they settle in, we pray that you guide their decisions, direct them to the home that you've already picked out for them. and I'm sure you have a church in mind where they can serve. Lead them there we pray, we ask Lord that you would have your hand upon them. and we thank You, Lord, for the healing that you're giving to Cassie, praise your name. Lord, it's so good to see her getting her life back. As she said, we pray that it would just continue, Lord and that you would heal that hole in the back of your skull quicker than even the doctors expect. 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. We ask these things in Jesus name. Amen. Our next time of prayer will be this coming Sunday. I'd like to pray for you if you have something you'd like the Lifespring family to take to the Lord or if God has blessed you in some way. Let us know. We would like to rejoice with you. Let us know. Steve Webb 11:55 Thanks to Sister Denise Michael Haner Scott Snider, Jason Paschall who did today show art and sister Brittaney Safe travels for their generous donations of time and talent. and thanks to today's associate producer, Chase Jacobson, God bless each of you. and thanks to you, beloved, for sharing some of your precious time with me. I'll see you tomorrow. and until then, may God bless you richly. My name is Steve Webb by Announcer 12:23 Podcasts are cool! Transcribed by https://otter.ai