Psalm 108

“O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and give praise, even with my glory.  Awake, lute and harp! I will awaken the dawn. I will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples, and I will sing praises to You among the nations. For Your mercy is great above the heavens, and Your truth reaches to the clouds. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens, and Your glory above all the earth; that Your beloved may be delivered, save with Your right hand, and hear me.”  Psalm 108:1-6 (NKJV)

I have traveled to Israel about a dozen times, and I always consider it a blessing to walk where Jesus walked, to wander the length and breadth of the Promised Land, as Abraham did.  I love to help other people understand the significance of the Biblical events that took place at the various tour stops, and I really enjoy leading people in worship songs that help prepare their hearts to receive the message from God’s Word.  

You may find it hard to believe, but my favorite place in Israel is not Jerusalem.  My favorite place is the Sea of Galilee.  The first time I went to Israel was during a season of great personal struggle and life transition, as I had just left the music business.  I was touring with college students, and we were encouraged by the tour leader to wake up before sunrise and seek the Lord on the banks of the Galilee, where Jesus taught and called several of His disciples (Luke 5).  When I opened my Bible, my chapter for the day was Psalm 57.  I was seeking the Lord as to what I should do with my life: continue in music or pursue a whole other career.  Here is an excerpt from that chapter.

“My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and give praise. Awake, my glory! Awake, lute and harp! I will awaken the dawn. I will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples; I will sing to You among the nations. For Your mercy reaches unto the heavens, and Your truth unto the clouds. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let Your glory be above all the earth.”  Psalm 57:7-11 (NKJV)

A year later, I sat at the exact same spot on the shore of the Galilee, praying. As the sun rose, I opened my Bible to that day’s chapter, Psalm 108.  And what was God’s message to me a year later?  The EXACT SAME MESSAGE as a year before!  Random?  Hardly!

But what was God trying to say?  That I should keep pursuing music?  Perhaps, but that is not the purpose of the psalm.  The purpose of the psalm was not to direct David’s career choices but rather to direct his life’s posture.  The fact that he sang is almost arbitrary to the message of his song: God, our only help, can be trusted!

“Who will bring me into the strong city? Who will lead me to Edom? Is it not You, O God, who cast us off? And You, O God, who did not go out with our armies? Give us help from trouble, for the help of man is useless. Through God we will do valiantly, for it is He who shall tread down our enemies.” Psalm 108:10-13 (NKJV)