Wisdom From God Psalm 138: Thanks, Lord!

Thanking God For Three Things ‘Tis the season to be thankful! Several have been posting thanksgiving lists online lately. Psalm 138 provides us with a few reasons to be truly thankful to God. A psalm by David

Thanks For Making Me Bold Psalm 138:1-3 – “I will give You thanks with all my heart; I will sing praises to You before the gods. I will bow down toward Your holy temple and give thanks to Your name for Your lovingkindness and Your truth; for You have magnified Your word according to all Your name. On the day I called, You answered me; You made me bold with strength in my soul.”

Offering God Extravagant Praise David offers praise with “all my heart” Praised God, “before the gods” Bows down, “before the temple” Gives thanks to the name of the Lord

Reasons For Such Praise For God’s lovingkindness and truth For magnifying His word For providing David, therefore, with boldness and strength for his soul.

Why Praise These Things? Psalm 25:10 – “All the paths of the Lord are lovingkindness and truth to those who keep His covenant and His testimonies.” God’s paths are both lovingkindness and truth Based upon covenant keeping Based upon His testimonies (word) Doesn’t it feel good to know you are in the Lord’s favor?

We Need Boldness And Strength! Proverbs 28:1 – “The wicked flee when no one is pursuing, but the righteous are bold as a lion.” 2 Corinthians 3:7-8, 12 – “But if the ministry of death, in letters engraved on stones, came with glory, so that the sons of Israel could not look intently at the face of Moses because of the glory of his face, fading as it was, how will the ministry of the Spirit fail to be even more with glory?....Therefore having such a hope, we use great boldness in our speech….”

Philippians 1:20 Paul expresses his desire to be bold “…according to my earnest expectation and hope, that I will not be put to shame in anything, but that with all boldness, Christ will even now, as always, be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death.” Illustration: Superman the coward?

Thanks For Keeping Me Humble Verses 4-6 – “All the kings of the earth will give thanks to You, O Lord, when they have heard the words of Your mouth. And they will sing of the ways of the Lord, for great is the glory of the Lord. For though the Lord is exalted, yet He regards the lowly, but the haughty He knows from afar.”

Boldness Is Not Arrogance 1 Peter 5:5 – “You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

God Regards The Humble… …but He knows the haughty from afar. God distances Himself from the arrogant. Proverbs 11:2 – “When pride comes, then comes dishonor, but with the humble is wisdom.”

Even Kings Praise God God is King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Kings and rulers bow before God (or someday will) because no one is higher than God. Luke 1:52 – “He has brought down rulers from their thrones, and has exalted those who were humble.” We bow before our betters!

Thanks For Keeping Me Safe 7-8 --Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me; You will stretch forth Your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and Your right hand will save me. The Lord will accomplish what concerns me; Your lovingkindness, O Lord, is everlasting; do not forsake the works of Your hands.”

Thanks For Keeping Me Safe In the midst of trouble God is there for His people. He will revive us. He will deliver us from evil. He will save us with His right hand.

Similar Thought To Psalm 23:5 “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You have anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows!” No enemy is stronger than God God exalts His humble servants God provides a banquet for us even on the battlefield.

A Final Plea To God “Do not forsake the works of Your hands.” That would be all of God’s people. We are the works of His hands. We are the sheep of His pasture. Hebrews 13:5 – “…for He Himself has said, ‘I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you….”

Let The Boldness Begin Illustration: The doughnutless doughnut shop. We are Christians. We preach and teach Christ. Boldly. Humbly. Fearlessly. Joyfully. Thankfully. Because we are the works of God’s hands!