Psalm 138
Thanksgiving and Praise
Of David.
1 I give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart; before the gods I sing your praise; 2 I bow down towards your holy temple and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness; for you have exalted your name and your word above everything. 3 On the day I called, you answered me, you increased my strength of soul.
4 All the kings of the earth shall praise you, O Lord, for they have heard the words of your mouth. 5 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 perceives from far away.
7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve me against the wrath of my enemies; you stretch out your hand, and your right hand delivers me. 8 The Lord will fulfil his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures for ever. Do not forsake the work of your hands.
From my colleague and friend, Phil Heinze (Living the Lectionary), these words:
The small g gods who covet a capital G will have to listen while the psalmist sings praise of the Lord exalted above all things, especially small g gods. The kings of the earth accustomed to people bowing down to them will have to bow down to a higher power and join the song, whether they like it or not. And so you might expect the Lord of all the earth, who puts little g gods in their place and is King above all kings to act the part.
But this One who knows no equal, no rival, no one worthy of comparison, regards the lowly, preserves the powerless, and delivers the needy. Therefore the whole heart of the psalmist gives thanks despite walking in the midst of trouble, for the Lord is near and not far off. We, too, when strengthened in soul by the steadfast love of the Lord trust that the Lord’s purposes for us, which may or may not be immediately apparent, will in fact be fulfilled for the capital G God and the King above all kings hears the words of our mouth and knows the needs of our soul.
Dear Big G God, we bow before you. Forgive us of our worship of the little g gods in our lives. We pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.