PSALM 138
1 I will give thanks to you, O Lord, with my whole heart; *
before the gods I will sing your praise.
2 I will bow down toward your holy temple
and praise your Name, *
because of your love and faithfulness;
3 For you have glorified your Name *
and your word above all things.
4 When I called, you answered me; *
you increased my strength within me.
5 All the kings of the earth will praise you, O Lord, *
when they have heard the words of your mouth.
6 They will sing of the ways of the Lord, *
that great is the glory of the Lord.
7 Though the Lord be high, he cares for the lowly; *
he perceives the haughty from afar.
8 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you keep me safe; *
you stretch forth your hand against the fury of my enemies;
your right hand shall save me.
9 The Lord will make good his purpose for me; *
O Lord, your love endures for ever;
do not abandon the works of your hands.
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A FEW BRIEF THOUGHTS...
The Psalms offer us a conversation between God and his people that is direct, intense, and, above all, honest. They appeal to the whole person; they demand a total response. The Psalms inform our intellect, arouse our emotions, direct our wills, and stimulate our imaginations. Finally, within this rich collections of verses we find hymns, laments, psalms of remembrance, psalms of trust, as well as thanksgiving, wisdom, and themes of kingship.
Each time I encounter The Psalms I am reminded of how relevant they remain to our experience some 2500-3500 years after they were written. The range of emotions and wildly various perspectives that they knew speak to our own daily lives. The dialogue between God and humanity is raw, beautiful, and pierces through the façades we too often employ. The Psalms remind us what it is to be human and to be honest about that reality.
As to Psalm 138 above:
The psalmist's experience of God's help has reminded him that he is not the captain of his own soul, that he is not the master of his own fate -- and that this is a good thing! Some people reject the offer of help from outside themselves, because they do not want to be weak, to need help, or to admit their limits.
Biblical faith starts with admitting our own weakness, our own sin, our own limits -- and of accepting the gracious mercy and fidelity of the Savior who comes among us to serve rather than to be served. The psalm ends with a request for continued help: Do not forsake the work of your hands. Each of us is the work of God's hands. And to be a follower of the Lord means to know that we cannot and need not do it all on our own.
Peace!
