What is your most admirable traits?

Psalm 138

“I give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart; before the gods I sing your praise;
 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.  On the day I called, you answered me; my strength of soul you increased.  All the kings of the earth shall give you thanks, O Lord, for they have heard the words of your mouth,  and they shall sing of the ways of the Lord, for great is the glory of the Lord.
 For though the Lord is high, he regards the lowly, but the haughty he knows from afar.

 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.  The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever.  Do not forsake the work of your hands.”

This is a Psalm of David and one of the most admirable traits of David was his heart for God, and his desire to do God’s will.  Think on what David is telling the Lord; “I give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart; before the gods I sing your praise; 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.  On the day I called, you answered me; my strength of soul you increased.”  I’m fearful that many in the Church do not have the heart that David had, how I long to be single minded of heart before a Holy God.

In verse four David is not talking about in his lifetime but a time in the future, we refer to this as prophecy.  The prophet Isaiah gave us this insight of this time David is referring to in Isaiah 2:1-4.  “The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.  It shall come to pass in the latter days  that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be lifted up above the hills; and all the nations shall flow to it, and many peoples shall come, and say: “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways  and that we may walk in his paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth the law,  and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide disputes for many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.”

David understood God’s love and protection of the humble and how He would distance Himself from the arrogant and proud.  David also knew that God had a plan and purpose for his life, and it would be fulfilled.  We will close this paper with this thought; “The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever.  Do not forsake the work of your hands.”

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice