The Shortest Psalm

Brother Grumbler wears a frown, And always tends to drag you down. Would Brother Grumbler be so bored If he were focused on the Lord?

Evidently Brother Grumbler has never read Psalm 117. The shortest chapter in the Bible (located right in the middle of the Bible), it expresses great joy even though it contains only two verses in our English versions. Its near neighbor Psalm 119, the longest chapter in the Bible, contains 176 verses, but this one simply says:

Praise the Lord, all you nations; extol him, all you peoples. For great is his love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever (Psalm 117:1, 2).

Why did the Lord guide his people to include this tiny chorus in their songbook? Because in only a few words, this short Psalm tells us what to do (give praise), to whom we should offer praise (the Lord), who should do it (all people from all nations), and why (because of God's great love and faithfulness).

Praise means ascribing worth to God. The word praise comes from the same Latin root as "price," "prize," and "appraise." My grandfather's name was Worth Faust. We seldom hear children called Worth these days, but it's a noble name. When Grandpa was born, his parents looked down at him and said, "That child is Worth!" They considered him precious, worthwhile. "Worship" comes from the Old English "worth-ship." When Christians praise the Lord, we acknowledge his worth. We admire and adore him, joining with the heavenly worshipers who proclaim, "You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power" (Revelation 4:11).

Praise means respecting the holiness of God. Jesus said to pray, "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name" (Matthew 6:9). "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come" (Revelation 4:8). He is pure and powerful, merciful and mighty.

Praise means expressing wonder at the majesty of God. God's tirelessness is wonderful—"he who watches over you will not slumber" (Psalm 121:1-8). His vast knowledge is wonderful—"you are familiar with all my ways" (Psalm 139:1-6). His constant presence is wonderful—"if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me" (Psalm 139:7-10). His creative design is wonderful—"I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made" (Psalm 139:13-16). His justice is wonderful—"he upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry" (Psalm 146:7). His gifts in nature are wonderful—"he covers the sky with clouds; he supplies the earth with rain and makes grass grow on the hills" (Psalm 147:8).

Praise means shining the spotlight on God. "Not to us, O Lord, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness" (Psalm 115:1). He alone deserves our highest recognition and honor. Sometimes the Scripture calls this "magnifying" God—putting his character under the magnifying glass so all can see clearly what a great God we serve.

John Wesley said, "Sour godliness is the Devil's religion." We won't be bored if we count our blessings. We won't be grumpy if we're grateful. Despite our problems and pains, we can be filled with joy because our Father is still on his throne. The shortest Psalm says it well: Praise the Lord!