Read Psalm 108
A song. A psalm of David.
1 My heart, O God, is steadfast;
I will sing and make music with all my soul.
2 Awake, harp and lyre!
I will awaken the dawn.
3 I will praise you, Lord, among the nations;
I will sing of you among the peoples.
4 For great is your love, higher than the heavens;
your faithfulness reaches to the skies.
5 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
let your glory be over all the earth.
6 Save us and help us with your right hand,
that those you love may be delivered.
7 God has spoken from his sanctuary:
“In triumph I will parcel out Shechem
and measure off the Valley of Sukkoth.
8 Gilead is mine, Manasseh is mine;
Ephraim is my helmet,
Judah is my scepter.
9 Moab is my washbasin,
on Edom I toss my sandal;
over Philistia I shout in triumph.”
10 Who will bring me to the fortified city?
Who will lead me to Edom?
11 Is it not you, God, you who have rejected us
and no longer go out with our armies?
12 Give us aid against the enemy,
for human help is worthless.
13 With God we will gain the victory,
and he will trample down our enemies.
Go Deeper
If portions of this psalm of David sound familiar, it is because sections of two previous psalms are included (Psalm 57 & 60). The psalmist once again praises God for love and faithfulness, and then prays to God to deliver His people from their enemies. Most likely Israel was headed into another battle. He gives God the best part of the day and wakes before dawn to greet the day with joyful songs of adoration. Pushing aside doubts and fears, he proclaims his confidence in God’s faithful love.
David feels no shame about publicly exalting the greatness of God among the nations. He is confident of being saved and rescued with God’s right hand. Notice praise preceded his petition. Verse 7 presents the context of David remembering the past with his choice of words “God has spoken in His sanctuary.” David rested in knowing God, not man, ultimately had dominion over the entire earth. “Give us aid against the foe, for human help is worthless (v. 12) and “With God we will perform valiantly; He will trample our foes (v .13).
Psalm 22:3 says “Holy God inhabits the praises of his people.” Inhabit means simply to occupy, reside or settle. It moves the heart of God when we celebrate Him and give him preeminence in our daily lives. It opens the door and creates space for Him to dwell in and through us. The beautiful thing is in the process we are transformed by His mercy and truth. Living any other way is futile and leads us down a disillusioned path.
Here is a simple acrostic as a guide to prayer:
- Adoration: Praise to God for who He is
- Confession of our sins
- Thanksgiving: Remembering the grace and mercy of God
- Supplication: Requests for needs
Questions
- What is the condition of your heart today? Can you honestly say it is confident in God?
- What would it look like for you to praise Him with your whole being? What might you be withholding from Him? Seek accountability from a trusted friend.
- What foe do you need God to trample in your life today?
Keep Digging
Check out the significance of the right hand of God in Scripture through this GotQuestions.org article.
4 responses to “Psalm 108”
4 For great is your love, higher than the heavens;
your faithfulness reaches to the skies.
5 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
let your glory be over all the earth.
BibleHub.org Psalm 108:4 —Theologically, it underscores the belief in God’s omnipotence and His rightful place as the ultimate ruler of the universe. In the next verse, David states “let your glory be over all the earth”. He’s asking that God’s presence and characteristics be recognized everywhere in the world, and experienced by all of humanity. “For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.” Habakkuk 2:14
God is there all the time, waiting on us to acknowledge Him to His rightful place. As Lord over all.
God thank You for Your love that is higher than the heavens. God Your faithfulness reaches to the skies. Thank You for Your glory being over all the earth. God help my comprehension of You be greater and more complete. Continue to open the eyes of my understanding of Your word. God thank You for these minutes of this day, that I am Your hands and feet to those around me. Give me wisdom on what, when and how to say loving, kind and gentle words that give You glory and honor in Jesus name amen.
WOOHOO!!
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
let your glory be over all the earth” (v5).
David clearly proclaims how great God is before he asks for aid from his enemy. He recalls all what God has done and relies on his sovereignty in his present need. The footnote in my Bible sums it up this way, “The psalmist refuses to believe in a secondhand god because he refuses to allow circumstances that surround him to define God.” What great wisdom for us today!
“refuses to believe in a secondhand god”
Wow!
Yes, I’ve been using the ACTS structure for my prayer life for years! Thank you.
4 For great is your love, higher than the heavens;
your faithfulness reaches to the skies.
This imagery, also used in Psalm 36, is so inspiring! God’s love and faithfulness is awesome!