Thanksgiving for the Lord’s faithful help

138:1 I will give you thanks with all my heart; before the heavenly assembly I will sing praises to you. 138:2 I will bow down toward your holy temple, and give thanks to your name, because of your loyal love and faithfulness, for you have exalted your promise above the entire sky. 138:3 When I cried out for help, you answered me. You made me bold and energized me. 138:4 Let all the kings of the earth give thanks to you, O Lord, when they hear the words you speak. 138:5 Let them sing about the Lord’s deeds, for the Lord’s splendor is magnificent. 138:6 Though the Lord is exalted, he takes note of the lowly, and recognizes the proud from far away. 138:7 Even when I must walk in the midst of danger, you revive me. You oppose my angry enemies, and your right hand delivers me. 138:8 The Lord avenges me. O Lord, your loyal love endures. Do not abandon those whom you have made! Psalm 139 For the music director, a psalm of David.

Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NET) are from the NET Bible®, copyright ©1996, 2019 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.

David gives wholehearted thanks to the Lord because God answered his cry, strengthened him, and saved him in danger. His own rescue becomes a public witness: even the kings of the earth should praise the Lord, because his word is trustworthy, his glory is great, and he looks with favor on the lowly while opposing the proud.

This psalm is a song of thanksgiving. The singer praises God with his whole heart. He does this before the heavenly assembly and toward God’s holy temple. His thanks are grounded in God’s loyal love and faithfulness. God’s promise is sure and weighty because God keeps his word.

The psalmist then recalls his own prayer. He cried out for help, and God answered. That answer gave him courage and strength. The psalm does not name the exact trouble, but it clearly says that God met him in it.

The psalm then widens out to the nations. The kings of the earth are called to give thanks to the Lord when they hear his words. They should sing about what the Lord has done, because his glory is great. The Lord is high and exalted, yet he still pays attention to the lowly. He knows the proud from far away.

The closing verses return to the singer’s need. Even in the middle of danger, God preserves him. God opposes his angry enemies and delivers him by his right hand. The psalm ends with confidence and a prayer that the Lord will not abandon the work of his hands. The final request rests on God’s enduring loyal love.

• God is worthy of wholehearted, public thanksgiving.
• God’s loyal love and faithfulness are the basis of praise.
• The Lord answers prayer and strengthens his people.
• Earthly kings are accountable to the Lord and should hear his word.
• The Lord is exalted, yet he looks on the lowly.
• God opposes the proud.
• God preserves and delivers his people in danger.
• It is right to ask God not to abandon what he has made.

• Give thanks to the Lord with all your heart.
• Bow down before the Lord in worship.
• Praise the Lord because of his loyal love and faithfulness.
• Let the kings of the earth give thanks when they hear the Lord’s words.
• Sing about the Lord’s deeds.
• Do not trust pride; the Lord knows the proud from far away.
• Take comfort that God answers prayer and strengthens his people.
• Do not assume every trouble ends at once; the psalm is a thankful witness to real deliverance, not a blanket promise of immediate relief.

Psalm 138 stands in Israel’s covenant worship. It shows the Lord as the God who hears prayer, keeps his word, and preserves his people. It also points beyond Israel, because the kings of the earth are called to praise him. This fits the Bible’s larger movement toward the nations acknowledging the Lord’s rule.

Believers should answer God’s mercy with sincere thanksgiving. We should pray boldly, because the Lord really hears and strengthens. We should stay humble, because God favors the lowly and resists pride. When God helps us, our praise should not stay private; it should bear witness to others.

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