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.
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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
