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
c. and has promised to bless us and provide for us while we wait with patience for The Event
è ·e are surely obligated to be thankful.
d. If there is a national sin that makes God cry out today, would it not be the sin of having an ungrateful heart before Him
e. We often talk of singing praises -- every Sunday we ask for God’s people to Give Praises -- of this one thing I am assured:
-- OUR PRAISES ONLY RING TRUE WITH GOD WHEN THEY COME FROM A GRATEFUL HEART!
III. Principles Drawn From Verses 6-8
4. Though God is so far above us as we can not even describe His radiance and majesty, He draws near to any humbled sinner who will have faith to call upon Him
5. God will reject not only the call of the proud, but the very proud person himself.
؉2 Chr. 7:14 (NKJV) 14if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.
؉God defines the ?proud? in several ways in scripture, but most often it is one of two ways:
1) The proud refuses to worship and give honor to God in His heart -- won’t bow or submit to God.
2) The proud is one who refuses to acknowledge his need for and dependence on God
James 4:5 - James 4:8 (NKJV) 5Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, ?The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously!!
6But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble. 7Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
6. God’s Word has the power to bring Revival, even when we walk about in a fallen and sinful world.
7. God is at work in your life! He is up to something -- HE won’t quit you!? EVER! [vs. 8]
He is asking one thing from you today: A COMMITMENT TO NEVER QUIT HIM!
