1 I will praise thee with my whole heart: before the gods will I sing praise unto thee.
2 I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.
3 In the day when I cried thou answeredst me, and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul.
4 All the kings of the earth shall praise thee, O Lord, when they hear the words of thy mouth.
5 Yea, they shall sing in the ways of the Lord: for great is the glory of the Lord.
6 Though the Lord be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly: but the proud he knoweth afar off.
7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me: thou shalt stretch forth thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies, and thy right hand shall save me.
8 The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O Lord, endureth for ever: forsake not the works of thine own hands.
Though surrounded by trouble, the psalmist will still praise God and hope in God’s final success with His Kingdom work.
Imagine the sentiment of the Christian who sits in a communist prison somewhere under the absolute control of cruel tyrants. When facing serious troubles like this, we learn that we are actually very small people, each of us. As we confront enemies larger than us, overwhelmed by troubles on every side, we become more intimately aware of our smallness and weakness. However, it is just when we discover our smallness, that we learn to glory in the bigness of God. This psalm demonstrates the right response to serious trouble. We summon the boldness to call upon the most powerful forces on earth to glorify God, and then we become oblivious to the threats of the enemy. Towards the end of the psalm, we gain more confidence that God will intervene for us and save us despite the attacks of the enemy.
Verses 1-2
The corporate officers frowned on the Christian as he breathed out a prayer of praise, “Praise be to the Lord!” The university professor mocked the student who said, “Thank you, Jesus!” when he received his graded exam. And the pastor was taken away in handcuffs when he tried to pray in the name of Christ before the nation’s Supreme Court. Whether or not these words of praise to God are received, the psalmist is determined to praise Him anyway before the highest authorities (the gods) of the earth. Given that God is above all and worthy of our praise, the Christian cannot possibly render more recognition to the authorities of the earth than he does to God. He cannot but offer praise and worship to God with his whole heart. Truly, any God-fearing believer in Jesus Christ should never think twice of praising God in the presence of the most powerful men on earth. And it is no disrespect for these authorities, for no authority has any authority unless derived from God Himself (Rom. 13:1).
We worship God when we are confronted by His grace and truth (vs. 2). Without these two elements, we could not possibly relate to God. If it were only His truth, we would be undone and condemned forever; and if it were only His grace, we would never know the way to God and we would still be lost in deceit and sinful living. Importantly for us, both grace and truth came by Jesus Christ in the fullest possible sense (John. 1:18).
For the believer, there is nothing like the Word of God to exalt the name of God. We appreciate and reverence the Word only because it is the glorious means by which we come to know God and worship Him. Those who want to get to know God are constantly and ever in the Word of God. This is what gives us the basis and the impetus for glorifying God and worshiping Him in the congregation. Those who do not want to get to know God are not particularly drawn to sermons or to reading the Word each and every day. They rather find such activities boring, most probably because they are too self-focused to be bothered with the worship of God.
Verses 3-5
Now these verses testify to the deepest convictions in the heart of David, the psalmist. He speaks of how God has strengthened him through the darkest and most difficult days of his life. At the end of the day, true worshipers do not care so much about what people think about themselves, but what people think about God. So the kings of the earth persecute believers. What is of more concern is that these kings are not turning around and giving God glory for their accomplishments and blessings. The pride of man detracts from the glory of God, and this is an offense of cosmic proportions in the mind of the worshiper. Thus, the psalmist testifies that all the kings of the earth will praise God—even the wrath of men will praise Him (Ps. 76:10). Whether here or there, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Phil. 2:10,11). This is a consideration that renders great satisfaction to the heart of the worshiping believer.
From verse five it seems that these kings are voluntarily singing and praising God. This indicates a certain piety with political leaders around the world. And indeed, we have seen some of this, at least according to the testimonies of certain leaders like Patrick Henry, Oliver Cromwell, King Alfred, Gustavus Adolphus, William the Silent, and John Quincy Adams.
Verses 6-8
How does one come into the presence of God? How is it that God gives grace to some and draws back from others? Why does the Publican go home justified in the parable, and the Pharisee does not (Luke 18:9-14)? The all important answer to these questions is contained in verse six. The Lord gives grace to the humble. After the powerful kings and their proud empires have disappeared into the rubble, who is left still standing but the meek and the lowly. Far above all the powers of the earth, God sits on His mighty sovereign throne ruling over all. Hence, we are far less concerned with the earthly kings than we are with the God of heaven (Prov. 29:26). It is tantamount that we humble ourselves in respect to Him. While He has some cognizance of the proud of the earth, He has no interest in any kind of intimate relationship with them. No proud person will ever be a friend of God. “He knows the proud afar off.”
With confidence, the psalmist claims that God will deliver him from out of his troubles. He may feel very small in respect to the power of the enemy, and he may feel extremely small in respect to God. But, that’s alright. God rescues the little guy, who cries out from his knees to Him for salvation. David is convinced that God will deliver him.
The last verse contains all of the encouragement anybody will ever need in this life. How many people are concerned that their lives may be wasted, or that death will put an end to all purpose for them, perhaps even land them in hell? Who can guarantee that all of their life’s work will amount to anything in the long run? Of course, only God can assure that the work He has begun in us will be completed in the day of the Lord Jesus Christ (Phil. 1:6). Nobody but God can make a life worth living. If we were living in a chance universe, or if we were relying on ourselves or other people to make our lives worth living, it would never happen. Certainly everyone of us lives a flawed life—our work is flawed, our lives are flawed with sin and broken relationships. Only God can redeem these lives and turn something of eternal value out of them.
Are we concerned about our own lives ahead of the glory of God? Is our confidence and faith first in God, that He will perform the work He has set out to do? Almost everybody is concerned about seeking favor of man and the great leaders of the earth. However, every work shall be called into judgment. Since God is the ultimate Judge of the earth, it is our relationship with Him that matters most. Two questions remain therefore for every believer. Are we humble? And is God glorified? This is what matters above everything else.
When the wheels come off of our vehicle, we need to remember that God took them off, and He is going to make something better out of our lives. We must rely upon God to perfect the work of our lives.
There is only one way to worship God—with your whole heart. Half-hearted praise will never do. This whole-hearted praise will only come from a life devoted to God and souls that have been radically saved from the power of the Egyptians at the Red Sea.
1. What two elements are crucial for our ability to relate to God?
2. Why is it no disrespect to praise God in front of presidents and governors?
3. What is the difference between the Publican and the Pharisee in the parable? Why did the Publican go home justified rather than the other?
4. How does God make life worth living?
5. What is the setting of this psalm, according to verse 7?
1. What political leaders seem to have expressed genuine Christian faith in history? How might we be able to glorify God in the presence of political leaders in our day?
2. How does the Word of God inspire us to worship? Give examples of how this has happened to you recently.