Scripture:
I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds. I will be glad and exult in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High. (Psalm 9:1-2 ESV) …the LORD sits enthroned forever; he has established his throne for justice, and he judges the world with righteousness; he judges the peoples with uprightness. (Psalm 9:7-8 ESV) Arise, O LORD! Let not man prevail; let the nations be judged before you! Put them in fear, O LORD! Let the nations know that they are but men! Selah (Psalm 9:19-20 ESV)
Observation:
This is titled “I will recount Your wonderful deeds” in my Bible. It is written by David and sent to the Choirmaster. It appears that Ps 9 has 3 points of focus: God and His majesty; a petition to God about David’s condition; and a blunt description of Man. 20 verses, most of them about God alone.
Application:
Sometimes I jot thoughts down and hum them to a tune that pops in my mind; most of the time these “songs” are easily forgotten mostly because I don’t have the disciplined practice to see them to an end. Maybe I am not supposed to. Maybe they are just for the moment. One thing I have encountered though is that if I am not thinking about God, meditating on Him and His attributes; being in wonder about His Word and His Gospel—then even these stray “songs” will be at best shallow and diminishing; or at worse, disappearing with a whimper, sliding into the night reaches. These 3 verses strike me as pretty odd at first. David intentionally thought about each (and the other 13 verses that connect)—and he wanted to put this to Song? Goodness: How I want to be able to do that. But, to be like David in this I have to be intentional and absorbed in God and His Word. I see David was no stranger to Doctrine: Being Thankful in all things. God alone is worthy of Praise—nothing else is like Him; He is Just and Righteous in Justice; Man…well, I see a blunt reminder that man is created (I am just a man) and that only He is Creator; I am clay (dirt with a little spit) and He is the Potter. Sovereign and Holy is He!
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, I am sitting here wondering “Did You greet the dawn with Song? Did you regularly sing? When you prayed and sought Your Father daily in the morning watches did You sing His Praises?” Sometimes I am so cold hearted about singing; I set a serious tone in my prayer, in my meditations. I am convinced O God that when you told the Prophet Jerimiah about Your never ceasing Love, that Your mercies never end—New…Every…Morning—Great is Your Faithfulness (Lam 3) that this wasn’t coldly and soberly stated. It was with big rejoicing, huge rejoicing, bright and extravagant Worship. May it be that way with me. I want this O God, praying a prayer that You are Happy to provide. I don’t want to be a cold hearted singer and I don’t want to sing empty songs. Bring doctrine into my Song O God. Let me sing the wonders of Your Word daily.