Give Thanks, Sing Praises, Bow Down

"I will give You thanks with all my heart;

I will sing praises to You before the gods.

I will bow down toward Your holy temple

and give thanks to Your name

for Your lovingkindness

and Your truth;

for You have magnified Your word

according to all Your name."

Psalm 138:1-3

Psalm 138 is a psalm of David.  If we want to know what a man after God's own heart looks like, all we need to do is read David's psalms.  I think David's mind was drawn towards God most of his waking hours.  Here David determines to gives thanks, sing praises, and bow down because of God's steadfast, faithful love (of which he says in verse 8 is forever), and for God's truth.  Then David gives a third reason why, because the Lord made His word bigger and greater, according to all His name.  We can never unpack the magnitude of the character of God.  Of all that He is, His power, His love for us, His wisdom, His might, His wrath, His justice, His mercy, His faithfulness, His grace...we can never search out the depths of Who He is and how great He is.  But we can spend time in His Word with Him, letting Him become bigger and more awesome.  Letting Him increase.  He loves to do this in our hearts and minds.  And He does it so that we will love Him, worship Him, sing praises to Him, find encouragement in His character and love, find strength for obedience, find boldness to lift His name high.  Do you have a weary and troubled soul, a fearful soul?  Go to the Lord in His Word.  Rest there, wait there, and He will become bigger as He melts the fear and strengthens your heart.  Have you been in the Word and is your soul bursting?  Sing praises to Him.  Give thanks to Him.  Bow down to Him.

May your day be filled with thanksgiving, praise, and worship...  Jesus is worthy...