Psalm 138 (NRSV)
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Verse 1I give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart; before the gods I sing your praise;
Verse 2I bow down toward 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.
Verse 3On the day I called, you answered me, you increased my strength of soul.
Verse 4All the kings of the earth shall praise you, O Lord, for they have heard the words of your mouth.
Verse 5They shall sing of the ways of the Lord, for great is the glory of the Lord.
Verse 6For though the Lord is high, he regards the lowly; but the haughty he perceives from far away.
Verse 7Though 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.
Verse 8The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands.
Devotion
I give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart. Does anyone give thanks to God like this anymore? We expect God to take care of our needs, but so often our thanks and praise are conditioned upon our perception of those needs having been met. The psalmist says, "The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me." But do we really trust in that promise? We can, of course. But so often we look not to God for help but to others or even to ourselves — that "pull yourself up by your bootstraps" mentality. It is God who, when we call, does indeed answer (verse 3), though not always in the way we expect.
Prayer
Thanks be to you, O God, for all that you have done for us and the ways you continue to intercede for us without our asking. Forgive us for not thanking you more often. Amen.