Meditation of the Day  

“The LORD will fulfill His purposes for me; Your steadfast love, O LORD, endures forever.  Do not forsake the work of Your hands” (Psalm 138:8, ESV).

The circumstances, which have evoked David’s grand praise of Yahweh, are not specific. In providence, however, this works to our advantage, for we also can praise Him whenever He graciously hears and answers our cries of desperation. 

However the reason David honors Yahweh with praise is quite specific.  In verse 2, he bows down towards Yahweh’s temple to praise His name for His “steadfast love” (ds,x,, hesed) and His “faithfulness” (tm,a/, ‘emet) – words which immediately bring to mind Yahweh’s faithfulness to uphold His covenantal promises to His people, and especially here, His anointed one (i.e. the king).  Whatever the circumstances, Yahweh has delivered David and thus maintained his throne over Israel, as promised in 2 Samuel 7.  

What is David’s response?  “I will praise you, O Yahweh, with everything that is in me; before the ‘gods’ I will sing Your praise” (v. 1). 

Is this not to be our response?  Has not God, in Jesus Christ, evidenced His loyal love and faithfulness to deliver His people from their enemies through David?  Has not Yahweh, through Christ’s cross, made a spectacle of the gods of this world? (Cf. Colossians 2:15) 

Through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, God has truly exalted above all things His name and word (v. 3), for Jesus is the “Yes” and “Amen” to all of God’s promises (2 Corinthians 1:20). 

Though David praises Yahweh for the deliverance of physical Israel, we praise Him for the greatest deliverance of all time – the salvation of spiritual Israel from their sins.  

David anticipates the day when all the kings of the earth will give homage to the great cosmic King (v. 4; cf. Psalm 2).  We anticipate the day when every knee will bow, and every tongue confess, that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:9-11). 

As David looks back to the Lord’s faithfulness, he can confidently end the psalm by trusting again and claiming His everlasting covenantal promises.  David has seen Yahweh fulfill His promises to him over and over again; why should he doubt His saving arm in the future? 

For us on this side of the cross, we might say what David says in v. 8 this way: 

“He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” (Romans 8:32). 

Reader, if you are in Christ by faith, God will fulfill all of His promises in your life.  With the apostle Paul, let us live our lives with great confidence, forever proclaiming, “If God is for us, who can be against us?”  

What is to be our response to such faithfulness and grace?  Eternal praise!  

May we emulate David, who could not help but sing praises to His faithful, covenant-keeping King.  May we tell all who we see of the saving greatness of Jesus Christ, so that they too might “sing of the ways of Yahweh – for the glory of Yahweh is great” (v. 5). 

Holy Spirit, eternal God, tune our hearts to sing of the saving grace freely bestowed upon us in Jesus Christ.  Thank you for preserving my life.  Thank you even more for regenerating me and giving me faith to trust in the Father’s promises.  Thank you for taking up residency in so vile a sinner.  Glorify the Son, O Spirit of holiness!  Do not forsake the work of Your hands!

Confident only in Christ and His merits,

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