Bible Readings and Devotion for October 16, 2020
Here are the references for the readings. Please look these up in your print Bible, your smartphone app Bible, or your online Bible:
Devotion for October 16, 2020
By Pastor David Tinker
Psalm 117 is the shortest chapter in the Bible. It consists of 2 short verses. It is interesting to note that it is just 2 chapters before the longest chapter in the Bible, Psalm 119. That is a full 176 verses. The theme of that psalm is the law and instruction of the Lord. Let’s look at what this much shorter psalm is about.
The first verse is a reverse of the, “Because – Therefore,” theological construct. This is the idea that we make a statement of truth about the Lord. That is the, “because,” part. Then we state what God calls us to do in response to this truth. That is the, “therefore part.” It could be something like, “God loves us, we love each other.” The reverse of this would be, “We love each other because God loves us.”
So, looking at the first verse, we see it is making a bold and joyful statement regarding a core aspect of our response to the Lord. The psalmist writes, “Praise the LORD, all you nations! Extol him, all you peoples!” This is a call to worship to Lord.
Verse 2 tells us why we worship the Lord. “For great is his steadfast love toward us, and the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever.” The truth that the Lord is always for us and always there for us through all things is core to the many reasons we worship the Lord. This is the, “because,” part of this logical equation.
So, this psalm reminds us that we are called to praise the Lord because of this steadfast love and faithfulness toward us. To pull this all together, the psalmist concludes with the statement, “Praise the Lord!”
Special Note: This is the English version of the Hebrew word, “Halleluiah.” This is a command word which is a combination of, “Hallelu,” meaning the command form of, “praise,” and the first part of God’s holy name in Hebrew, “Yah,” as in, “Yahweh.” This Holy Name is often translated and brought into English as, “the Lord.” This is a reverent way to refer to God while avoiding the possible misuse of the Holy Name the Lord announced at the Burning Bush in Exodus 3.
Prayer
Almighty and eternal God, so draw our hearts to you, so guide our minds, so fill our imaginations, so control our wills, that we may be wholly yours, utterly dedicated unto you; and then use us, we pray, as you will, but always to your glory and the welfare of your people, through our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Martin Luther Lutheran Church 