Reasons for Whole-Hearted Praise

Psalms 138:1-8
We have before us tonight a psalm of David that reminds us that we have very good reasons to praise God. When society holds us in disdain for our faith, we still have every reason to praise God publicly and boldly take a stand for Him. David says he is going to give God everything he’s got because God is worthy of whole-hearted praise. David didn’t care who was listening. He wasn’t going to hold back if his voice cracked. He wasn’t going to be embarrassed.
When you think about it, God has more to be embarrassed about by His association with us than we do about our association with Him. We are such wicked sinners, yet God has boldly stated His love for us. Why then would we be ashamed to worship Him?
He had made us promises and preserved them in His Word and placed His Word even above His own Name! We should then devote ourselves fully to His praise.

I. SUPPORT-
Not only has God promised to never leave us nor forsake us, He supports us
He is there for us to help us regardless of our circumstances
David is being pursued by His enemies, but the Lord strengthened David
Paul was alone in his defense before Emporer Nero, but he testified that God was there
Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 4:16-18, "At my first answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook me: I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge. Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me; that by me the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion. And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen."
David’s and Paul’s situations would be discouraging without God’s support
And David reminds us that the very ones who trouble us will one day bow before God
God loves us and cares about what we are going through. 2 David extols God’s lovingkindness
As the God of all Comfort, He invites us to cast all of our care upon Him because He cares
As God Almighty, He reminds us that He will rule and reign and subdue His enemies
As the God of Glory, He welcomes our worship and receives it as a sweet-smelling savor
He, as our Heavenly Father, saves our tears and keeps a record of our hurts and victories
He abides with us and empowers us to do what He has called us to do
He encourages us to face our fears with His help and protection
God says in Isaiah 41:10, "Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness."
He wants to strengthen us within in our spirits and help us do all things through Christ
The support and aid we receive from God should be cause for our worship, but so also is His…
II. SELFLESSNESS-
David says, God shouldn’t care about us, but He does
He is so far above us, that we shouldn’t matter to Him at all
Psalms 113:5-6 says, "Who is like unto the LORD our God, who dwelleth on high, Who humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven, and in the earth!"
Even the angels are beneath God! Nothing and no one in the universe can compete with Him
There is no one at His level. As much as Lucifer desires to be like God, he falls short
And yet, God deigns to