Love and Worship: The Meaning of Life

 

The Shortest Psalm, the Greatest Truth

“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.

 Praise the LORD.”  

 Psalm 117:1–2

The world’s shortest psalm proclaims life’s greatest truth: that the purpose of all creation is to love and worship God. Patrick D. Miller observed that “praise is the goal of life itself.” The psalmist calls all nations to lift their voices, reminding us that worship is not confined by borders or backgrounds—it is humanity’s shared vocation. Walter Brueggemann noted that Psalm 117 “defies tribal religion,” inviting the entire world into God’s covenant love. Worship, therefore, is not only a personal act of devotion but also a universal declaration that all life finds its meaning in God’s steadfast love (ḥesed) and enduring faithfulness (’emet).

Eugene Peterson wrote that “worship is the strategy by which we interrupt our preoccupation with ourselves and attend to the presence of God.” In a world consumed by hurry, distraction, and self-focus, this psalm gently reorients our gaze. God’s love is constant when our emotions waver; His truth remains firm when the ground shifts beneath us. As J. B. Lightfoot described it, “The faithfulness of God is the steady hand that keeps the world from falling apart.” When we praise Him, we align our hearts with eternal reality—the God whose mercy never fails and whose promises hold the universe together.

Archbishop Donald Coggan once reflected that “worship restores the balance of life. We begin to see everything else in right proportion—God first, then all else follows.” This psalm calls us to live that truth daily. Life’s meaning is not found in what we achieve, possess, or control, but in the One who loves us unfailingly. When we love and worship God with grateful hearts, every act becomes holy, every moment becomes praise. As the psalmist reminds us, “The faithfulness of the Lord endures forever.” In that unending love, we find the purpose and peace for which we were made.

Prayer:

Lord, thank You for Your steadfast love and unfailing faithfulness.

Teach us to worship You with joy and gratitude, to live in awareness of Your presence,

and to draw others into the praise that fills heaven and earth.

In loving and worshiping You, we find our truest life. Amen.