Psalms 108
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O God, my heart is fixed; I will sing and give praise, even with my glory.
2 Awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake early.
3 I will praise thee, O Lord, among the people: and I will sing praises unto thee among the nations.
4 For thy mercy is great above the heavens: and thy truth reacheth unto the clouds.
5 Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens: and thy glory above all the earth;
6 That thy beloved may be delivered: save with thy right hand, and answer me.
7 God hath spoken in his holiness; I will rejoice, I will divide Shechem, and mete out the valley of Succoth.
8 Gilead is mine; Manasseh is mine; Ephraim also is the strength of mine head; Judah is my lawgiver;
9 Moab is my washpot; over Edom will I cast out my shoe; over Philistia will I triumph.
10 Who will bring me into the strong city? who will lead me into Edom?
11 Wilt not thou, O God, who hast cast us off? and wilt not thou, O God, go forth with our hosts?
12 Give us help from trouble: for vain is the help of man.
13 Through God we shall do valiantly: for he it is that shall tread down our enemies.
Public Domain KJV text from Wordproject.org
Psalm 108:1-13
With God We Shall Do Valiantly
A Song. A Psalm of David.
1My heart is steadfast, O God!
I will sing and make melody with all my being!
2Awake, O harp and lyre!
I will awake the dawn!
3I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples;
I will sing praises to you among the nations.
4For your steadfast love is great above the heavens;
your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.
5Be exalted, O God, above the heavens!
Let your glory be over all the earth!
6That your beloved ones may be delivered,
give salvation by your right hand and answer me!
7God has promised in his holiness:
“With exultation I will divide up Shechem
and portion out the Valley of Succoth.
8Gilead is mine; Manasseh is mine;
Ephraim is my helmet,
Judah my scepter.
9Moab is my washbasin;
upon Edom I cast my shoe;
over Philistia I shout in triumph.”
10Who will bring me to the fortified city?
Who will lead me to Edom?
11Have you not rejected us, O God?
You do not go out, O God, with our armies.
12Oh grant us help against the foe,
for vain is the salvation of man!
13With God we shall do valiantly;
it is he who will tread down our foes.
ESV Bible text displayed through the American Bible Society's Global Bible Widget
Psalm 108:1-13
Psalm 108
A song. A psalm of David.
1My heart, O God, is steadfast;
I will sing and make music with all my soul.
2Awake, harp and lyre!
I will awaken the dawn.
3I will praise you, Lord, among the nations;
I will sing of you among the peoples.
4For great is your love, higher than the heavens;
your faithfulness reaches to the skies.
5Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
let your glory be over all the earth.
6Save us and help us with your right hand,
that those you love may be delivered.
7God has spoken from his sanctuary:
“In triumph I will parcel out Shechem
and measure off the Valley of Sukkoth.
8Gilead is mine, Manasseh is mine;
Ephraim is my helmet,
Judah is my scepter.
9Moab is my washbasin,
on Edom I toss my sandal;
over Philistia I shout in triumph.”
10Who will bring me to the fortified city?
Who will lead me to Edom?
11Is it not you, God, you who have rejected us
and no longer go out with our armies?
12Give us aid against the enemy,
for human help is worthless.
13With God we will gain the victory,
and he will trample down our enemies.
NIV Bible text displayed through the American Bible Society's Global Bible Widget
Commentary
Have you ever awoken the dawn with God’s praises?
David’s circumstances seemed to impede praising God. Facing foes of unknown origin, the king is concerned that God appears to have abandoned the nation. Though feeling rejected, Israel’s Sweet Singer couches his pleas for help within the parentheses of trust, beginning and ending his prayerful song with a declaration of steadfastness.
How is David able to praise while captured by chaos?
The secret lies nestled within verse four:God’s love and faithfulness reach to the skies . . . and beyond! Because God has ceaselessly proven His love through previous trials, David is confident in the character of God. David possesses tried-and-true experiential knowledge that often human help is worthless; only God can fight our battles.God can ensure victorious emergence from emotional turbulence.
Facing tempests that threaten our health and finances, a steadfast trust in God’s character is achievable. Like David, we need not fear future terrors unless we forget how God’s loving faithfulness has protected us in the past.
As the sun peeps over the horizon each morning, let your soul rejoice. Singing God’s praises will recall memories of God’s past mercies and fortify your heart for current challenges.
Lori Engel
Chaplain (currently disabled), Eugene, Oregon USA (as of this writing)
