Psalm 138

 

I love Psalm 138. It’s one of those passages that just reaches into your heart and pulls you into the presence of Adonai. There’s something deeply personal about it, something raw and real. David wasn’t just writing a nice poem—he was pouring out his soul, standing in defiance against a world full of idols, proclaiming the faithfulness of God. And I want to take you through this Psalm the way I see it, the way it speaks to me, and I hope it speaks to you too.

David opens up with this powerful declaration:

“I will praise You with my whole heart; Before the gods I will sing praises to You.” (Psalm 138:1)

That phrase—“with my whole heart”—that’s not just flowery language. In Hebrew, it’s "בְּכָל־לֵבָבִי" (b'khol levavi), and when they talked about the heart in ancient times, they didn’t just mean emotions like we do today. The heart (לֵב, lev) was everything—your thoughts, your will, your emotions. David is saying, "I’m holding nothing back. Every part of me belongs to You, Adonai."

And then there’s this line, “before the gods.” What’s that about? The Hebrew word here is אֱלֹהִים (Elohim), which can mean God, but it can also mean rulers, false gods, or even spiritual beings. David was surrounded by a world full of idols—statues of Baal, Asherah poles, gods that people carved out of wood and stone—and he’s saying, "Right in front of all these so-called gods, I will praise the One True God." It’s almost like he’s challenging them: "Watch me worship!"

Then he says,

“I will worship toward Your holy temple, And praise Your name For Your lovingkindness and Your truth; For You have magnified Your word above all Your name.” (Psalm 138:2)

David wasn’t in the temple when he wrote this, but his heart was turned toward it. The Hebrew word for worship here is "שָׁחָה" (shachah), which means to bow down, to humble yourself before someone greater. This wasn’t just about singing—it was a posture of deep reverence. And why does he worship? Because of Adonai’s lovingkindness—חֶסֶד (chesed). That’s not just “kindness” like we think of it. Chesed is covenant love. It’s that never-giving-up, never-failing, always-and-forever kind of love.

And then David says something fascinating: “You have magnified Your word above all Your name.” Think about that. God’s name—His reputation, His authority—is everything. But David says God has lifted His Word even higher. Why? Because His Word is His promise, and He will never go back on it. If God said it, it’s as good as done.

David continues,

“In the day when I cried out, You answered me, And made me bold with strength in my soul.” (Psalm 138:3)

Oh, how many times have we been here? Crying out to God in desperation, in need of an answer. And He doesn’t just listen—He responds. The Hebrew word for "answered" is "עָנָה" (anah), which means to respond, to pay attention, to act. And what did God’s answer do for David? It made him bold. The word here is "חָזַק" (chazak), meaning strong, courageous, unshakable. David isn’t just saying God gave him peace—God made him fierce in spirit.

Then he looks beyond himself:

“All the kings of the earth shall praise You, O LORD, When they hear the words of Your mouth.” (Psalm 138:4)

David sees a future where even the rulers of the world bow before Adonai. Right now, they might be worshiping their own power, their own gods, but a time is coming when they will hear the truth and respond with praise. Can you imagine? Kings and rulers laying down their crowns because they finally see the greatness of God.

He keeps going:

“Yes, they shall sing of the ways of the LORD, For great is the glory of the LORD.” (Psalm 138:5)

Not just acknowledge Him, but sing of His ways! Because once you truly see Him, once you taste and know that the Lord is good, you can’t help but sing. it's like when you walk by a room where a tune you know and love is being sung... You can't help but sing along. THIS is how you will feel when you truly acknowledge Adonai.

Then David shifts his focus again:

“Though the LORD is on high, Yet He regards the lowly; But the proud He knows from afar.” (Psalm 138:6)

I love this. The God of the universe, high above everything, doesn’t just rule from a distance—He draws near to the lowly. The Hebrew word for lowly is "דַּךְ" (dakh), which means humble, bowed down, afflicted. If you are in a low place, He is close to you. But the proud? The ones who think they don’t need Him? He knows them "from afar." It’s not that He doesn’t know them—it’s that they’ve distanced themselves from Him.

David then gets personal again:

“Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me; You will stretch out Your hand Against the wrath of my enemies, And Your right hand will save me.” (Psalm 138:7)

David is no stranger to trouble. He lived most of his life running, fighting, struggling. But he knows where his help comes from. “You will revive me”—the Hebrew word here is "חָיָה" (chayah), meaning to give life, to restore. God doesn’t just help us survive our troubles; He breathes life back into us.

And then there’s this beautiful closing verse:

“The LORD will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy, O LORD, endures forever; Do not forsake the works of Your hands.” (Psalm 138:8)

This is a verse to hold onto. “The LORD will perfect” (יְהוָה יַעֲשֶׂה, Yehovah ya'aseh)—He will complete it. Whatever God has started in you, He will finish. He’s not done with you. And His mercy? It’s forever. Chesed again—His covenant love that never ends. David ends with a plea: "Don’t forsake the work of Your hands." He knows God won’t, but still, he cries out, because he knows his dependency on God is everything.

This psalm is a reminder of who God is—faithful, loving, powerful, close. And it’s a reminder of who we are—people who need Him, who cry out to Him, who praise Him with everything we have. So let’s take David’s words to heart. Let’s praise Him with our whole being, stand boldly in a world full of idols, and trust that what He has started in us, He will bring to completion. Because His chesed endures forever. And that’s something worth singing about.

Written By Anna M. K. Hazen, with the help of AI on research.

Image is AI generated.