Praying Through the Psalms: Psalm 138 Gratitude, Glory, and Goals

Introduction

Announcement about Summer Splash

In just a couple of weeks, on July 13th, from 7:30-9:30pm we are having Summer Splash

We have rented out Adamson’s Lagoon Pool

There will be watermelon, popsicles, music and fun together.

This is a church-wide event…this night isn’t just for those who still need floaties and those still think sunscreen is optional.

This will be a great chance for us to connect as a church body and live out part of our mission: seeing people restored to one another.

We hope you will join us - and invite friends!

Intro Praying Thru the Psalms

We’re now in the second half of our summer series, Praying Through the Psalms.

Today, we’re looking at Psalm 138—a bold, heartfelt prayer of gratitude and trust.

What you can expect

If you’re new to our Praying Through the Psalms series, here’s how this works: We’ll break into small groups of 3–4 and pray through specific points.

If that’s outside your comfort zone—no problem. When it’s time to find a group, feel free to bow your head in silent prayer… or do the classic "checking your phone" move.

Later, if you want to join a group, just slide in—people will gladly welcome you.

So without talking, look around—side to side, front and back—and quietly establish your group.

During prayer, let multiple people pray.

And if someone’s praying, feel free to agree with them by saying “Amen” or “yes, Lord”

When it’s time to come back together, I’ll say “Lord…” and that’s your cue to wrap up.

I will close that time of prayer, and then we will continue.

SOUND GOOD??

Prayer

Before we dive into the Word, I want to take a moment to pray…

First, I want you to pray for yourself.

Ask the Lord to speak clearly through Psalm 138

Ask for boldness to engage in prayer.

Ask for your heart to be changed by His Spirit.

Now, would you please pray for me…

Ask the Lord to speak through me

Ask Him to get me out of the way so we can see Jesus!

Sermon

Psalm 138:1–3 “1 I give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart; before the gods I sing your praise; 2 I bow down toward your holy temple and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness, for you have exalted above all things your name and your word. 3 On the day I called, you answered me; my strength of soul you increased.”

David’s response to God’s love was active. He gave thanks, sang, bowed, called out, worshiped.

Point 1 - In My Gratitude: I blank… (vv. 1-3)

For this point, you get to choose response.

For some it’s:

“I give thanks.”

“I sing praise.”

“I bow down.”

“I worship.”

“I call to the Lord.”

Or even, “I submit to your sovereign rule and reign.”

You don’t have to cheat off your neighbor…The point is, you get to choose what you want in that blank…

Give you thanks

This phrase “give you thanks” is repeated three times in this Psalm - v. 1, 2, and 4.

Twice, it is David saying that he will give thanks to God

and once, in v. 4, David says that all the kings of the earth shall give thanks to God - which we will unpack in the next point.

Give thanks is the Hebrew word Yadah…

It means to praise with Thanksgiving

What does it mean to praise with thanksgiving?

To praise with thanksgiving is to:

savor — say thank you — and to share

This week on Tuesday evening after VBS, we were driving home and turned off the highway and caught a jaw-dropping sunset.

I paused and just savored it.

Then I whispered a prayer of thanks.

Then I told Cammy, “wow… Look at that!”

That’s what it means to praise with thanksgiving: savor, say thank you, and share.

What is David Savoring in Psalm 138??

v. 2b - Steadfast Love and faithfulness…

Steadfast Love = חֶסֶד - (ḥesed)

steadfast love, kindness, faithfulness, loyalty.

The Lexham Theological Wordbook says that “The core idea of this term relates to loyalty within a relationship. In relation to the concept of love, it denotes God’s faithfulness to his people.”

This is one of the most rich words in the Hebrew language

Don’t rush past this word—ḥesed. It’s covenant based love, not performance based love.

It doesn’t quit. It pursues. It’s loyal, undeserved, and deeply relational.

It’s a love that can only come from a perfect being—because only a perfect being can love broken people in a covenant we constantly fail to keep.

God’s love for David - and His love for believers is a love that says:

“I will never leave you, even when you fail. I am for you, even when you forget me. I will act on your behalf—not because you earned it, but because I’ve bound myself to you.”

So how do you respond to THAT???

David Praised with his whole heart (v. 1a)

David is not talking about his vital organ…

He is talking about the essence of his being, his emotions, his thoughts, his passions, and his desires.

Everything in David was about giving thanks/praise to the Lord.

He didn’t give thanks to the Lord the way you thank your barista for making your coffee right before you walk away from the counter.

He lingers with the Lord - enthralled

David praised before the “gods” (v. 1b)

This word “gods” is an interesting one.

Ben mentioned this word last week in Psalm 8

Some Bible translations have this word translated as “gods” but others have translated as “heavenly beings.”

There is a third possibility here is that the word gods would refer to magistrates - or rulers in our world.

This is how this word is used in Psalm 82…

If this is the case, then we see a man who praises the Lord very publicly before the powers that be.

Matthew Henry said: “When we can praise God with our whole heart, we need not be unwilling for the whole world to witness our gratitude and joy in him.”

“Whether David means idols, angels, or earthly rulers, the point is this: he praises God with allegiance that’s public, bold, and undivided.”

David Sang (v. 1b)

“I sing your praise…”

This is pretty straightforward, but one thing that I want to emphasize here.

Singing is something we are told to do throughout the scriptures…

Psalm 47:6 “6 Sing praises to God, sing praises! Sing praises to our King, sing praises!”

God wants to hear your voice!

He repeats four times it like I do when I ask my kids to pick up their Legos—because He means it.”

How can we stand there, silent and stoic as all of the other voices around us are raised in worship to our king?

We must sing!

I hate to break it to you hardcore Baptists in the room, but it also tells us to clap our hands in Ps 47:1…

Back to Psalm 138…

Bowed down (v. 2a)

David said that he bowed down toward the temple

to bow is a sign of respect and reverence

It is also a sign of submission and yielding

This is another one that I think it largely lost on us in Western culture.

We have gotten so casual with the Lord that we do not bow down before Him.

We pray in our cars, we pray before we eat a greasy burger, we pray as we fall asleep at night - and I am not saying we shouldn’t do those things.

What I am saying is that there is a very clear message sent to the Lord and to our own hearts when we bow.

You are God and I am not

You are worthy and I am not

We need these reminders often.

Effects - Strength in the Lord (v. 3)

When David gave thanks with a whole heart, publicly before the gods, singing God’s praise, and bowed down before the Lord…

He was strengthened, fortified, emboldened in his pursuit of the Lord.

On the day I called, you answered me; my strength of soul you increased. - Ps 138:3

There is a direct connection between submitting oneself completely to the Lord in worship and hearing His voice and being strengthened in your soul.

Application:

We need to ask ourselves some questions…

Do I give thanks to the Lord with my WHOLE heart? or just part of it?

Am I committed to the Lord publicly? or do I have a more private faith that I keep to myself?

Do I sing praises to the Lord - stirring up my emotions for the Lord? or do I just stand there stoic and let those around me do the singing?

Do I ever bow down before the Lord, getting on my face in submission to Him? or do I maintain my posture and dignity?

Do I give Him praise for His steadfast love and faithfulness?

This Psalm is obviously descriptive of what King David did, but I also think that it is prescriptive for us.

It provides us with a model of how we should pray.

It helps us to know how we are to interact with the Lord.

Prayer Points:

Praise Post-its

For this first prayer time, we’re doing something different. You’ll see post-its at the end of your row—pass them down and grab one.

Write down a specific way God has shown you His steadfast love and faithfulness—a need met, a person used, a promise believed.

Or if you’re still waiting on something, write: “I’m believing God for…”

Then gather with your group, briefly share, and pray:

“God, thank you for your steadfast love and faithfulness, shown in ____. Help me to praise you boldly.”

One person from each group, take your post-its to the glass doors as an act of public praise.

We’ve got 5 minutes—ready, go.

We’ve seen how David responds in gratitude—now let’s see what he declares about God’s glory.

Point 2

There has been a lot in the news as of late, especially as it relates to the tensions between Israel and Iran - and the US is involved too.

Part of what we witness every day is this global game of chess where world leaders are seeking to exert dominance as top dog in the world.

I am not sure about you, but there are times where I forget one of the biggest truths in this life - it doesn’t matter how big a country is, or how powerful their military force is, how many nuclear bombs they have, or the sheer strength to exert their will…

God is bigger than them all - infinitely so.

And He bows to no one… check out vv. 4-6

Psalm 138:4–6 “4 All the kings of the earth shall give you thanks, O Lord, for they have heard the words of your mouth, 5 and they shall sing of the ways of the Lord, for great is the glory of the Lord. 6 For though the Lord is high, he regards the lowly, but the haughty he knows from afar.”

Point 2 In God’s Glory: Kings submit (vv. 4-6)

All of the Kings giving praise… (vv. 4-5)

The Hebrew grammar suggests this isn’t just prediction—it’s a command.

“All the kings shall give thanks” is like when I tell my kids, You shall clean your room.

This is a statement, but my children should hear this as a command.

David is telling the kings that they will give praise to the Lord.

This is true for more than just kings…

Everyone will praise Jesus - no exceptions

Every person on the earth WILL bow before Jesus

How do I know this…

The Lord said it…

Isaiah 45:23 “23 By myself I have sworn; from my mouth has gone out in righteousness a word that shall not return: ‘To me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear allegiance.’”

Then He repeated Himself:

Romans 14:11 “11 for it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.””

And just to be sure that we heard Him, he repeated Himself again:

Philippians 2:10–11 “10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

Every person who has ever lived, or who will ever live, WILL worship Jesus.

“Every knee will bow. The only question is—will it be willing worship or forced submission?”

Some will willingly and joyfully bend the knee and enjoy Heaven forever.

Others will be forced to bend the knee - and they will loathe every second of it in Hell.

His glory demands it…

if He allowed anyone or anything to escape giving His name glory, then He would cease to be God.

Psalm 138:4–5 “4 All the kings of the earth shall give you thanks, O Lord, for they have heard the words of your mouth, 5 and they shall sing of the ways of the Lord, for great is the glory of the Lord.”

We praise Him for His Glory

Great is the glory of the Lord…

The Hebrew word for “great” means: “remarkable or out of the ordinary in degree, magnitude, or effect.” Lexham Theological Wordbook

In other words, God’s glory is unrivaled and overwhelming—not just seen, but felt.

It is meant to be experiential

Let me give you an example…

The 4th of July is coming up on Friday, and I am going to try and help you out.

Some of you are going to be watching the fireworks like: **Hold up phone like I am taking a picture**

Don’t even bother…

You know the picture isn’t going to capture the beauty you are seeing first hand.

And I KNOW, some of you are still gonna take the picture and your going to post that picture on Instagram.

The people who “like” that picture are just being nice! ;)

The point is that we can read about the glory of the Lord…

We can hear other people talk about it…

But His glory is indescribable, unless we see it and experience it first hand, it is a lot like looking at pictures of fireworks…

It leaves a lot to be desired.

Humility and Pride (v. 6)

Yes, God’s glory is infinitely greater than anything else in all of creation, but the amazing thing is that while God is transcendent, He is also intimate.

I love how Psalm 113:5–8 puts it

“5 Who is like the Lord our God, who is seated on high, 6 who looks far down on the heavens and the earth? 7 He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap, 8 to make them sit with princes, with the princes of his people.”

This is the absolute paradox that is our God.

He is infinitely higher than anyone else but also infinitely more acquainted with us than we even are with ourselves.

And He responds to us based on our heart posture before him.

Psalm 138:6 “6 For though the Lord is high, he regards the lowly, but the haughty he knows from afar.”

There are two types of people…

The Lowly

The Haughty

The Lowly

Lowly people place themselves at the mercy of God - and understand their inferiority to Him.

These are those who are bowed down before the Lord - knowing they cannot do this on their own.

The Haughty

Haughty people think they are doing just fine on their own…

They don’t bow before the Lord, because they are prideful and arrogant.

Luke 18:10–13 illustrates this perfectly:

“10 “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ 13 But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’”

Application

The Tax collector was lowly

The Pharisee was haughty

The tax collector was regarded

The Pharisee was rejected

Our application is to be a lowly person…

Humble yourself!

God regards the Lowly

He sees the unseen - like Hagar when she was cast out of Abraham’s care

He sees the injustice that has been perpetrated against you - and He will right that wrong

He sees the pain that you have endured - and He is comforting you - so that you can then comfort others.

He sees the needs that you have - and He is going to provide

God is not just omnipotent, He is omniscient and He is caring.

Christian, He sees you

Do not be a haughty person…

It says that He knows that person from afar.

It means that they aren’t fooling Him.

And He will not draw near to that person.

Pride repels the Lord and that person will be left to their own destruction.

While God is omniscient and caring, He is also just.

Unbeliever - he knows you, regardless if you know Him or not.

He calls you to humble yourself and draw near to Him - then He will draw near to you.

Prayer Points:

Gather with your groups and pray the following prayer points:

Pray for world leaders - particularly those who govern the United States - that they would “give thanks” to the Lord, that they would hear his words, and “sing of the ways of the Lord.”

Pray for humility for yourselves and our fellow countrymen that we might be regarded by the Lord had not opposed.

If God convicts you of being haughty, repent, draw near to Him and make Him your Lord.

Finally, let’s look at what gave David bold confidence for the future.

Point 3

Illustration: Hacksaw Ridge

If you have ever seen the movie Hacksaw Ridge, it tells the true story of Private First Class Desmond Doss who enlisted in the Army during WWII

The catch is that he was a devout Seventh Day Adventist who refused to carry a weapon because of his faith.

He wanted to serve as a medic and help people rather than kill them.

The story goes that Doss’ unit was tasked with taking Hacksaw Ridge at the battle of Okinawa.

it was named hacksaw ridge because troops were cut to pieces when they got to the top of the ridge.

As the unit was being cut to pieces, everyone of able body retreated and left the wounded to die.

Everyone that is except Desmond Doss.

Doss stayed behind when everyone else retreated—not because it was safe or logical, but because he believed God had called him to bring life.

He stayed and began to rescue men throughout the night.

Doss prayed, “Lord, help me get one more.” And by day’s end, he’d saved over 75 men.

That’s what faith looks like when your eyes are fixed on Heaven.

The thing that drove him was Faith in God’s purpose. A heavenly goal.

Point 3 In Heavenly Goals: God’s Purpose Prevails (vv. 7-8)

Psalm 138:7–8 “7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life; you stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and your right hand delivers me. 8 The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands.”

David believed that God would preserve him and that God would rescue him - and that changed how he lived his life…

I love what commentator John Phillips had to say about this: David knew “he had nothing to worry about. His despondency and despair will be banished the moment he sees the situation in light of God’s omnipotence and omniscience. No matter that he walks in the midst of trouble—an all powerful, all knowing, all loving God is with Him.” - John Phillips

But we must remember that David’s faith didn’t start here…

His was a faith that was grown over a lifetime of pursuing the Lord…

From facing Goliath as a young teenager

To enduring abuse and death threats from Saul who wanted him dead

To dealing with children who tried to usurp his throne…

He clung to what he knew God had said…

If you want a faith that works - a faith that compels you forward in spite of logic telling you the opposite - then you must exercise that faith in both the small things and the large.

Are you faithful in the small things that God entrusts you with?

Are you devoting yourself to God’s Word daily?

Are you committed to biblical community through church and missional community group?

Are you faithful with your resources - giving in response to His call to generosity?

If you haven’t displayed faith in the “easy things” then how will you ever display faith in the hard ones?

As I gear up to plant Symmetry Church with many of you, I am thinking about this…

I have had a lot of people ask me - how are you feeling about the plant.

And my answer is “I am excited, but I am also terrified!”

This is a huge faith step that I am taking - and it ratchets up the stakes, because I am asking people to join me in that.

I am seeing how the Lord is using moments of obedience (and lessons from failure) to compel me forward.

But the whole thing requires me and this team to completely rely on Christ.

Functional Atheism

Sadly, many of us claim to believe in God, but live like He doesn’t exist. That’s called functional atheism.

We make big decisions based on our desires, not God’s Word.

Our prayers are weak.

We build lives that don’t “need” God—then wonder why we’re anxious or dry.

I’m not trying to shame you—I’m with you.

But here’s what I’m learning:

If I’m not faithful in the small things, how can I ever expect to walk by faith in the hard ones?

And the hard ones are coming.

There are no shortcuts.

Heavenly purposes are brought forth from the slow cooker not the microwave.

And so many of us just want microwave faith… but there’s no such thing

HIS Purposes will come to pass…

Submit yourself to Him

Trust His process of refinement and growth

Stay tethered to the truth of His Word

Cling to Him when trouble washes up on your shore.

Let Him fight for you and do not feel the need to fight for yourself…

You have a heavenly father who will not forsake you.

The Lord will fulfill His purpose for you…

You should be living like nothing can stop what God is doing in and thru you, because nothing can stop what God is doing in and thru you. REPEAT

“The Lord will perfect the salvation of every true believer, and he will never forsake those whom he has created anew in Christ Jesus unto good works.” - Matthew Henry

Getting honest with the Lord

I am not telling you to to never fear the trouble ahead.

That would probably be impossible.

I am telling you that the solution to fear is to lean in closer to God when trouble comes.

David finishes this Psalm with the words:

Do not forsake the work of your hands.

God, who is a great potter, does not leave his work sitting on the wheel unfinished.

But it is scary in the moment, isn’t it?

That moment when you aren’t sure if everything is going to be alright?

When you don’t see the way you will make it thru.

Be honest with the Lord about this!

Tony Evans - “Even while you praise him, you can ask Him not to let you down—particularly in times of crises—knowing that He will answer for your good and His glory.”

We must cast our fears into the hands of our all powerful God who has the power over not just our fear, but the source of the fear itself.

Lord-willing, one day soon, you will look back on that time and see how God moved in ways that you could never have imagined.

Prayer Points:

Lift any of your troubles and worries up to the Lord. Ask Him to help you lean into Him and stay faithful.

What purposes are you pursuing in life? Are they the Lord’s purposes for you? If you aren’t sure, ask the Lord to show you His purposes. If you aren’t aligned with His purposes, ask God to align your heart with His.

Everyone wants to live for something bigger than themselves… Ask The Lord to fulfill His purpose for you and to not forsake the work of His hands.

Closing/Invitation

Psalm 138 ends with this: “The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands.”

For the Christian…

Christian, as we wrap up, I want you to remember three things:

1. God will fulfill His purpose for you - take that to the bank

2. His Hesed, steadfast love never ends - you will experience that for the rest of eternity.

3. He doesn’t leave His projects half-finished - He’s shaping you—even in hardship.

In your gratitude, praise God.

In His glory, submit to Him.

In heavenly goals, trust His purpose.

Like David—and Desmond Doss—keep praying: “Lord, help me live out your purpose… one more day. One more step. One more soul.”

For the unbeliever…

For the person in here who does not yet call Jesus Lord, and has never submitted your life to Him

Jesus offers you the same Steadfast “Hesed” love…

But you must repent and believe.

You must surrender your own claims on your life to Jesus.

Romans 10:9 says that “if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

Don’t delay.

For everyone here, If you need prayer, our team is available.

But whatever you do—respond.

Praise Jesus.