Psalm 138

God Answered My Prayer

The heading in my Bible over Psalm 138 is "God Answered My Prayer."  I saw a great quote last week regarding answered prayer, and it is a reminder that "no" is also an answer to our prayers sometimes !  

"True prayer never comes weeping home: I shall get either what I ask, or what I ought to have asked."
~ Robert Leighton

Psalm 138 is a beautiful psalm of praise - it is likely that it was penned by David and in it:

• he looks back with thankfulness upon the occasions in which he has experienced God's goodness to him
• he looks forward hoping that others would go on to praise God like him and that God would go on to do good to him

This is the first of a series of eight Psalms (Ps 138 - Ps 145), probably the last composed by David, a kind of commentary on the great Messianic promise in 2 Samuel 7:1-29:

And now, O Lord God, You are God and Your words are true, and You have promised this goodness to Your servant. 

~ II Sam 7:29 

 



   Regarding verse 3 above, Matthew Henry makes this observation:

  If God give us strength in our souls to bear the burdens, resist the temptations, and do the duties of an afflicted state, if He strengthens us to keep hold of Himself by faith, to maintain the peace of our own minds, and to wait with patience for the issue, we must own that He has answered us and we are bound to be thankful. 

~ M. Henry

Though the Lord is on high,

Yet He regards the lowly:

But the proud He knows from afar.

~ Ps. 138:6

We are reminded again in verse 6 that the Lord loves the humble but resists the proud! 

Give me the homely vessel of humility, which God shall preserve and fill with the wine of His grace; rather than the varnished cup of pride, which He will dash in pieces, like a potter's vessel.  

~ William Seeker, 1660

 Psalm 138:8 is one of my favorite Bible verses!  Don't you love the COMFORT and ASSURANCE found in that truth - that God will perfect that which concerns me.  A child of God can find great confidence in knowing that God will execute completely His plans for those who walk with Him.

  

 WHAT CAN I LEARN ABOUT GOD THROUGH THIS PSALM:

• God is lovingly kind
• God is truth
• God answers my prayers - sometimes yes, sometimes no !
• God strengthens my soul
• Great is the glory of the Lord
• The Lord loves the humble but is far from the proud
• God revives me, and saves me with His right hand
• The Lord will perfect that which concerns me - He has a plan for me!

HOW CAN I PRAISE GOD THROUGH THIS PSALM:

• I praise the Lord that He is in control - He has the plan and works the plan, and will perfect that which concerns me according to His plan.
• I praise the Lord that He hears, and answers, my prayers!
• I praise God for His lovingkindness and His truth
• I praise God for His great glory
• I bless the Lord that He regards the lowly . . . me!

 PRAYER:
      O God, I praise You with my whole heart!  I sing praises to You and worship You, praising Your name for Your lovingkindess and Your truth.  How I bless You that You hear - and answer - my prayers, and strengthen me with boldness in my soul.
     Great is the glory of the Lord, yet how I praise You that You regard the lowly . . . may my heart be always humble, before You and before others.  Revive me when I am in the midst of trouble, O Lord - save me with Your right hand.
     How I pray, Father, that You will perfect that which concerns me and that which concerns those I love.   Work out Your plan for each of us, that we may see Your hand in every detail of our lives and live with thanksgiving in our hearts.
     Your mercy, O Lord, endures forever.  Amen and amen!