LORD TODAY AND TOMORROW
Opening Prayer
Lord Jesus, You are Lord of my past and my future. Help me to sing this ancient psalm with the same humility and gratitude as the writer.
Read PSALM 138
1 I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart;
before the “gods” I will sing your praise.
2 I will bow down toward your holy temple
and will praise your name
for your unfailing love and your faithfulness,
for you have so exalted your solemn decree
that it surpasses your fame.
3 When I called, you answered me;
you greatly emboldened me.
4 May all the kings of the earth praise you, Lord,
when they hear what you have decreed.
5 May they sing of the ways of the Lord,
for the glory of the Lord is great.
6 Though the Lord is exalted, he looks kindly on the lowly;
though lofty, he sees them from afar.
7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
you preserve my life.
You stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes;
with your right hand you save me.
8 The Lord will vindicate me;
your love, Lord, endures forever—
do not abandon the works of your hands.
New International Version (NIV)
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Meditate
“Be still, my soul; thy God doth undertake / to guide the future as he has the past. / Thy hope, thy confidence, let nothing shake. / All now mysterious shall be bright at last” (Kathrina von Schlegel, 1697–1797)
Think Further
This is a song of gratitude to a faithful God. The Lord deserves the homage of the most powerful on earth, yet he “looks kindly on the lowly” (6). This Lord reverses the normal values of the world. Like Hannah’s song (1 Sam. 2:1–10) and Mary’s song (Luke 1:46–55), this songproclaims that the Lord remembers the poor and needy. Is this another quiet affirmation of God’s “preferential option for the poor” suggested by our January 15 reading?
The psalmist declares dependence upon this Lord—not other “gods” (1). Today, so many other “gods” offer us security and the good life—personal development, financial planning, job security, retirement income, health insurance. In the distant times before Jesus came, this psalmist only dimly understood and haltingly expressed that ultimate security which is eternal life with the Lord, but the fleeting glimpses are there. This Lord preserves our lives and saves us (7). This Lord fulfils his purposes for us with a love which “endures forever” (8).
The psalm beautifully expresses the deepest ambiguities of the Christian’s life. We must always proclaim that God has delivered us (7), but at the same time we will always find ourselves desperately seeking his deliverance (8b). In the not-yet-ness of our lives (JC McCann, “Psalms,” The New Interpreter’s Bible, 1233), we live in the paradox of the kingdom which is present within us (Luke 17:21) and the kingdom which is yet to be (Luke 22:16). In one and the same prayer we say “thine is the kingdom” and “thy kingdom come.” This apparent conflict is actually one of the deepest realities of the life of faith. However much we may seem to be blessed or however much of God’s amazing grace we experience, we are nevertheless conscious of our desperate need of God’s presence and protection.
Apply
In light of the promise of verse 8, which areas in your life are in need of a little perfecting?
Closing prayer
Lord, You have magnified Your word above Your name. Help me to magnify both among those who disparage both
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