Putting Confidence In The Faithful One

Putting Confidence in the Faithful One

Psalm 138

A PSALM OF DAVID.

I. Psalm 138 ? a short reading with some added interpretations for clarity.

1 I will praise You with my whole heart; Before the gods (i.e. IF there were any other gods looking) I will sing praises to You.

؉There are no real other gods, but David is drawing a figurative comparison?

2 I will worship toward Your holy temple, (I will turn my face toward you and look to you in confidence).

And praise Your name

For Your lovingkindness and Your truth;

For You have magnified Your word above all Your name.

(or, "for you have exalted above all things

your name and your word. [niv])"

3 In the day when I cried out, You answered me,

And made me bold with strength in my soul.

(how many times He has strengthened us when we were at our lowest and gave us boldness to carry on.)

4 All the kings of the earth shall praise You, O LORD,

When they hear the words of Your mouth.

(the writer, David, couldn?t fathom any king not giving honor to the Lord once he would understand who the Almighty is ? how we need that today!)

5 Yes, they shall sing of the ways of the LORD,

For great is the glory of the LORD.

(it was a common practice for the people of David?s time to sing praise to their king ? David was saying ?May they sing of the ways of the LORD[ or Sing of their desire for the Lord?s purposes to be fulfilled],

for the glory of the LORD is great. [niv]?

6 Though the LORD is on high, [above the highest place on earth]

Yet He regards the lowly; [has a special place and a special closeness to the weak and oppressed.]

But the proud He knows from afar. [He cannot draw close to pride -- against his character (the proud "doesn’t need God", rather is self-reliant) .]

7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me; [ FRIEND- will there in trouble, not just in good times.]

You will stretch out Your hand

Against the wrath of my enemies, [He will do battle for us and with us]

And Your right hand will save me. [He will provide his utmost strength.]

8 The LORD will perfect that which concerns me; [bring to completion].

Your mercy, O LORD, endures forever;

Do not forsake the works of Your hands. [you have done a work in my life, now don?t quit now!]

Ref: Phil. 1:3 through Phil. 1:6 (NKJV) 3I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, 4always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy, 5for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now, 6being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;

II. Psalms 138 Principles drawn from Verses 1-5

1. When we begin to praise God with our whole heart, we will find ourselves willing for the whole world to witness our joy in him.

؉ Recall, when Jesus asked what was the greatest commandment (i.e. ?what does God want foremost) ? ?to love the Lord your God with all of your heart, with all of your soul, with all of your mind, and with all of your strength.?

2. When we are faithful to worship Him, He will be faithful to reveal Himself by showing us His great GLORY. (No human word can adequately describe God: we use words like ?beauty/wonder/awe/majesty/splendor/radiance/brilliance/ è ¦all fall short of truely describing our God.

1) He will show (reveal) Himself Through His Word

2) He will reveal Himself Through the Power of His Name

3) He will reveal Himself Through the Assurance of His Presence

3. If we will call out to Him He IS THERE [vs. 3]

If he spared not his own Son (willing to expend His own Son Jesus for us), why would He spare any expense, or lack any resource in meeting our needs)? Romans 8:31 ?What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things??

4) Since:

1) God gives us strength in our inner person to:

a. bear the burdens of life,

b. resist the temptations of sin,

c. and to be faithful to Him;

5) and since He has promised us (given us His word) that we can:

a. be adopted into His family through simple faith [trust].

b. know that He will never leave or forsake us