“I give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart; before the gods I sing your praise; I bow down toward your holy temple and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness, for you have exalted above all things your name and your word. On the day I called, you answered me; my strength of soul you increased. All the kings of the earth shall give you thanks, O Lord, for they have heard the words of your mouth, and they shall sing of the ways of the Lord, for great is the glory of the Lord. For though the Lord is high, he regards the lowly, but the haughty he knows from afar. Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life; you stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and your right hand delivers me. The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands.” (v1-8)
This encouraging psalm not only praises and thanks God, but lifts up His children as well. It can embolden us (so we can praise God before other gods), and remind us of several things including: God is near to the humble, God is with us in the midst of troubles, God protects and delivers us, and we will not be forsaken by Him whose steadfast love endures forever.
The most interesting line for me is “The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me”. I find this encouraging because I have sometimes wondered if I have a purpose in this life, and if so, what is that purpose? Some days it feels like the arbitrary spinner is telling me left foot green, or right hand yellow, and I have no idea if that’s correct or if I will fall flat, likely hurting someone in the process.
But we can take heart, knowing that if we remain humble God will remain close, and He will ensure our purpose is fulfilled. When God ensures something will happen, we can rest assured nothing will stop Him, as long as we hold up our end of the agreement.
Father God, the One whose Word never fails, holy is Your name. We praise You, for You are worthy of praise, and Your steadfast love endures forever. Father thank you for helping us remain in alignment with You, keeping us humble and sustaining us as You see fit. Father thank you for giving us purpose – though we may not always know what the end goal is, we can fully trust that You have a plan and all we need to do is obey. To You be all glory and praise, forever and ever, amen.
~ Conqueror in Training