June 14, 2018 Thursday

“1 ¶  « A Psalm of David. » I will praise You with my whole heart; Before the gods I will sing praises to You. 2  I will worship toward Your holy temple, And praise Your name For Your lovingkindness and Your truth; For You have magnified Your word above all Your name. 3  In the day when I cried out, You answered me, And made me bold with strength in my soul. 4  All the kings of the earth shall praise You, O LORD, When they hear the words of Your mouth. 5  Yes, they shall sing of the ways of the LORD, For great is the glory of the LORD. 6 ¶  Though the LORD is on high, Yet He regards the lowly; But the proud He knows from afar. 7  Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me; You will stretch out Your hand Against the wrath of my enemies, And Your right hand will save me. 8  The LORD will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy, O LORD, endures forever; Do not forsake the works of Your hands.” (Psalm 138:1-8 NKJV)

            The Psalms are amazing because they reveal to us the heart of those people who struggled with life and with God. Some of the Psalms are heart cries as people struggle with why God allows terrible things and why God doesn’t take them away. But here we have an incredible Psalm of praise written by David.

            There is not space here to deal with the many ways David shares of his praise for God and the assurance David has of God’s goodness and salvation. Please take time to look at the many ways David praises God and use them as examples of praise so you might deepen and expand the times you praise God.

            While this Psalm speaks greatly of praise for God it also speaks of the problems and troubles David has. But David does not get angry at God or seek to blame God for his failures. Instead David sees and shares that God is not only present with us in the midst of our pain but God is working to revive us.

            It is easy for us to blame God for our own failures and problems. What are now called natural disasters used to be called acts of God! And when God does not give us what would harm or destroy us we see God as harsh and selfish. And because of our anger we cut ourselves off from God and thereby lose mercy and grace!

            In verse eight David tells us the very things that concern us God will use to perfect us. The very things we do that destroy us and harm us when we come to God become the very thing God will use to “perfect” us! From our former destructive behavior God will recycle to become the source of our calling!

            As you read this Psalm does it give you an opportunity to “resee” God? Will you respond to pain and suffering by praising God? What struggle in your life is God using to strengthen you to give you a ministry that will help others who struggle as you did?