Psalm 138--Give Thanks to the LORD

Psalm 138
English Standard Version

Give Thanks to the LORD
Of David.
138 I give you thanks, O LORD, with my whole heart;
    before the gods I sing your praise;
2 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.
3 On the day I called, you answered me;
    my strength of soul you increased.

4 All the kings of the earth shall give you thanks, O LORD,
    for they have heard the words of your mouth,
5 and they shall sing of the ways of the LORD,
    for great is the glory of the LORD.
6 For though the LORD is high, he regards the lowly,
    but the haughty he knows from afar.

​7 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.
8 The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me;
    your steadfast love, O LORD, endures forever.
    Do not forsake the work of your hands.

---

Our praise that we give to the LORD is not just seen by men, but by the angels of heaven and the demons the pretend to be gods that the pagan peoples of the world worship.  We worship where and when and how the LORD tells us to.  In the Old Testament times, that was at the Temple in Jerusalem, which is why the Exiles were so sad to be separated from it.  Everything they know about how and where to worship the LORD was tied to the Temple; in New Testament times the Church is a people, and not a place, and we are told to gather together for corporate worship in local congregations under the authority of elders who both teach and discipline us and with others who will disciple us as iron sharpens iron.  In both cases we gather together to worship the LORD for who He is and what He has done.

One of the reasons we worship together is so that we can pray together for both individual needs and needs that affect the entire congregation.  This psalm says that the very moment that we pray about a need, the LORD hears it and has His answer ready.  In fact, He knows the need and has the answer ready before we even pray for it because He is outside of time and space and sees and knows all things in all places at all times, even the things that we think are secret.  He hears our praises and our prayer requests.

One day, every ruling authority on earth will be in submission to the authority of God (the Son), but before that it looks as if every ruling authority (except maybe Israel) will be opposed to God and will try to band together to destroy His people and to try to keep His Kingdom from coming.  Those who are "secular" rulers will realize there is no distinction between "secular" and "sacred" and they too will sing praise to the LORD in their position and use their power and authority to command that all others join them in worshiping the LORD and giving Him the glory and honor that He is due.

God walks with us through the dark times and saves us from the plan of destruction that our enemies (who are really His enemies) have for us.  Remember that He is familiar with every kind of evil action against Him and for people to abandon Him and to revile Him and hate Him for His goodness.  The world calls evil good and good evil.  It calls darkness light and light darkness.  We do not trust in the hearts of evil men to determine right and wrong, and we don't look to "might makes right" either.  We also don't look to the hands of men to save us from the evil schemes of evil men.  "Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God."  He defends His people in a way that shows all onlookers, both men and angels, that He is serious about His everlasting, unconditional covenant that He has made with His people that are called by His name.  We are His family, and He as our Father will always love us and defend us from all enemies foreign and domestic (don't make yourself an enemy of one of God's people even if you think you are one of God's people because to make yourself an enemy of one of God's people is to make yourself and enemy of God).  The LORD will fulfill all of His covenant promises to His people--both the things that He has promised in this life and the things He has promised in the New Creation.  Nothing the world or of the fallen angels plot with thwart God's gospel plans for His people.