Psalm 138

The Psalm appointed for last Sunday in the lectionary was Psalm 138.  I found it very encouraging.  Here it is from the ESV:


I give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart;
    before the gods I sing your praise;
² I bow down toward your holy temple
    and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness,
    for you have exalted above all things
    your name and your word.
³ On the day I called, you answered me;
    my strength of soul you increased.

⁴ All the kings of the earth shall give you thanks, O Lord,
    for they have heard the words of your mouth,
⁵ and they shall sing of the ways of the Lord,
    for great is the glory of the Lord.
⁶ For though the Lord is high, he regards the lowly,
    but the haughty he knows from afar.

⁷ Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
    you preserve my life;
you stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies,
    and your right hand delivers me.
⁸ The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me;
    your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever.
    Do not forsake the work of your hands.

Where to start?  Well, I will tell you about the "aha" moment I had in verse 1.  When I read little "g" gods, I interpret it two ways.  First, those things that we are tempted to rely on instead of God or that we have set up as idols in our lives.  They may be things that bring us comfort - like food or entertainment - or make us feel important - like success or a role/position we have.  They may be our own wits or fortitude or maybe another person.  Second, things that we may not be bowing down to but our culture is and we need to guard against being swept into worship of them.  As examples of this, materialism or the obsession with sexuality come to mind.  Whatever these "gods" are, they need to be de-throned and put into their proper place.  But how do we do that?

This is where the Psalm comes in:

 I give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart;    before the gods I sing your praise;

Clearly, a way to ensure that we acknowledge who is the true God is in our lives is gratitude.  A regular practice of giving thanks to the Lord is a transformative spiritual discipline. (Ann Voskamp's One Thousand Gifts comes to mind).

But what about the second part of the verse?  What about singing the Lord's praises before those gods? How can we do that?

Well, my idea is to try it.  When you sense that you are "before the gods" in your life or in our culture, start praising.  Start saying/singing either out loud or in your heart how great our God is.  Proclaim all He has done for you.  Reflect on what you love about Him.  Remember what He promises and who He is. 

The best way to reject the temptation to give ourselves to a false god, is to worship the true and living God.  What happens when we do this?  Let's read on, verses 2 and 3:

² I bow down toward your holy temple
    and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness,
    for you have exalted above all things
    your name and your word.
³ On the day I called, you answered me;
    my strength of soul you increased.

Did you catch that last line?  "My strength of soul You increased."  We become stronger in the Lord when we worship and give thanks, when we pray and ask for what we need.  My personal experience is that when I am weary and discouraged and I call out to God, it may not be instantaneous but soon enough I will feel a shift in my soul and have strength and courage to face whatever is ahead. 

There is much more that could be said about this Psalm but I am going to leave it there for tonight.

Praying God's peace and grace for each of you.

in Christ,

Tracy