Today we have 4 psalms of David. The first is one of the Ascent Psalms or “Psalms of Degrees” sung by worshipers as they ascended the Temple Mount to worship. The last one is kinda a sad psalm so if you’d rather not end on a sad note, I suggest scrolling to the segment on Psalm 143 and reading that first, then maybe working your way up and ending with Psalm 131.
I dunno. You do what you want. I’ll never know.
😏
PSALM 131
I ADORE this psalm SO much. 🥰 I love all the psalms but this short one is in my top 5 along with Psalm 23, Psalm 37 and Psalm 130.
The imagery of a quiet toddler…
When are toddlers quiet?
- When they are up to mischief.
- When they are asleep.
- There is no third option.
David compares his soul to a toddler. You know, the humans at the stage of life when not having sprinkles on ice cream 🍦 or not having the exact stick or rock 🪨 desired definitely equals Armageddon. 🔥☄️☄️☄️
We’ve done a few of these memes way back. I think it’s time for more.
You may have noticed that many of the things forbidden by parents are for the child’s welfare. How many times has the Lord done something for our ultimate good, and we threw a fit? 😭
Toddlers are completely irrational. And so are our souls sometimes. And toddlers have no idea how much they don’t know about things. When it comes to eternal, spiritual matters and the grand scope of the unfolding of God’s plan in the world, we are toddlers.
We I have a hard day. (I’ll speak for myself. Nod along if you identify.) I have a hard day at work (like today) and though I am capable of not dissolving into impassioned tears, I do give the Lord rather an ear-full about it. Probably, to Him, I’m like a toddler that had a dramatic meltdown because the magic wand didn’t work and she had to actually reach for the thing she wanted.
But like the over-tired toddler who finally wears himself out and falls asleep, (tear-stained and red-cheeked on mom’s lap), our souls can – if we’ll be still for five minutes – calm down and rest in the love of our Savior.
David says, “I do not concern myself with matters too great and difficult for me.” For me, that’s a LOT of things. The list of things “too great and difficult for me” is much longer than the list of things I understand. And yet how much of life do we spend fretting over things that are far beyond our control?
When you lay your head on your pillow, leave all the international drama and socio-economic upheaval to the LORD. Don’t concern yourself. Tell your toddler-soul to be still and close your eyes.
Soul: I want a drink.
You: Ok. Then you’re going to sleep.
Soul: I need to potty.
You: 😑
🚽🧻🧼
🛌🥱
Soul: Where’s my bear?
You: 😏🧸
Soul: I want a story.
You: Once upon a time there was a very complicated human who was very precious to the Creator….
PSALM 138
There is more to this psalm than we may notice from a quick reading. It’s like…
Praise praise praise
Sing, worship
BAM – theological jab
Praise, praise, praise
Sing, glory
BAM! – theological punch
BAM! – life application, tiny closing prayer
Verse 6 is just one sentence but it tells us a lot about the character of God:
“For though the Lord is high, he regards the lowly, but the haughty he knows from afar.”
Psalm 138:6 ESV
If anyone tries to gaslight you with that much-beloved-of-atheists-argument that “God is an egotistical maniac”, know that they have just broadcast their staggering ignorance and the blindness of their own rebellion for all to see. Yahweh is the most truly humble Being in (or out of) the universe. The MOST powerful, perfect Being stoops to regard the smallest of His creations. I know the Bible talks about lilies and sparrows but His interest goes much lower – plankton and diatoms, tardigrades and nematodes.
SIDE NOTE…
Seriously, if you want to boost your praise & worship life, study some science. 🧬🦠🔬
If you met a dude who built a hot rod car out of scrap bits would you be impressed? Ok. How about Someone who built tardigrades out of nothing? You seriously need to click the link above or go to YouTube and just go down the tardigrade rabbit hole for a few minutes. Then remember who designed and makes them.
And what is the outcome of these mighty reflections on God’s character? Faith.
“The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands.”
Psalm 138:8 ESV
This statement “the Lord will fulfill his purpose for me” does not apply to those in rebellion to Him, because it is not His will or purpose that any should perish but that all would come to repentance, (2 Pet. 3:9).
This is David trusting in God’s covenant promise to establish his throne forever. We also have a covenant promise; the New Covenant, where the Lord removes our sin through faith in the atonement provided in Jesus Christ. For all who have trusted in this covenant, we can also say, “The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me.”
And how can we be confident in this?
“I bow before your holy Temple as I worship. I praise your name for your unfailing love and faithfulness; for your promises are backed by all the honor of your name.”
Psalms 138:2 NLT
PSALM 139
This psalm begins and ends with the LORD searching the heart. And in between we see themes related to the “Omni’s” of God’s nature. Omni means “all.” There are 3 words that are used to describe the nature of the God of the Bible
- Omniscience (all-knowing)
- Pronounced: om-NIH-shunce
- Omnipresence (all-present)
- Om-knee-presence
- Omnipotence (all-powerful)
- Om-NIH-po-tense
This is certainly not an exhaustive list of God’s characteristics but these are 3 that make Him unique from His creation.
In verses 1-6 David praises God’s omniscience. The LORD knows him and everything about him – even his thoughts before they become words.
In verses 7-12 David considers God’s omnipresence; that there is no where he can go in the physical or spiritual realms where God doesn’t exist.
In verses 13-18 David marvels at God’s omnipotence. Yahweh recorded every genetic detail in His “book” – which could refer to some kind of heavenly documentation or the longest book on earth: the human DNA sequence. Or both. The power to create a human being is the greatest power displayed at the pinnacle of creation.
I would suggest one more. In verses 17-18 there is nod to another characteristic of Yahweh – omnibenevolence. He is all-loving.
If there’s an Omni word for all-just, then it would apply to verses 19-22.
And we end where we started – with the Lord searching the heart.
Here’s a link to a song by Darlene Zschech and Reuben Morgan inspired by Psalm 139.
PSALM 143
If the book of Job was a song, it would be this.
Where David wants to avoid being brought into judgment before God, Job pleads for his day in court (chap. 23) even though his friends argue that it’s a bad idea.
The whole psalm is steeped in sorrow and affliction. And that’s a blessing for us because no one gets through life without seasons of sorrow and affliction. It helps to know we’re not alone. Many have been through the worst before and the Lord saw them through it.
David remembers “the good old days” in verse 5 and a little nostalgia can actually really help in hard times. But mostly this psalm is filled with prayers and petitions for help and deliverance.
This might be a good one to bookmark. When we experience even a fraction of what Job did, we may find ourselves struggling to know how to pray. Here’s a prayer already done for us. And it is inspired and perfectly right. Let it provide the words when all you feel like doing is dressing in sackcloth and sitting in the dirt.
To The Reader 