Scripture
Vs 1 Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
Vs 5 Out of my distress I called on the Lord; the Lord answered me and set me free.
Vs 6 The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?
Vs 13 I was pushed hard, so that I was falling, but the Lord helped me.
Vs 14 The Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.
Vs 15 Glad songs of salvation are in the tents of the righteous:
“The right hand of the Lord does valiantly,
Vs 16 the right hand of the Lord exalts, the right hand of the Lord does valiantly!”
Vs 17 I shall not die, but I shall live, and recount the deeds of the Lord.
Vs 18 The Lord has disciplined me severely, but he has not given me over to death.
Vs 23 This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.
Vs 24 This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Vs 25 Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!
Observation
This psalm points out a lot of activity.
The activity is going in both directions … from God to man … and from man to God.
It’s striking to consider which is the action of God and which is the action of man.
Stated as the actions of the LORD:
“answered” … “set free” … “helped me” … “become my salvation” … “does valiantly”
“exalts” … “disciplines severely” … “not given over to death” … “made the day” … “his love endures forever”
Stated as the actions of the psalmist:
“give thanks” … “called on the LORD” … “not fear” … “falling” … “live”
“recount the deeds of the LORD” … “rejoice and be glad”
Application
It’s impossible to absorb the words of this psalmist and not be humbled.
In the “flesh” … in other words, within my sinful, innermost personal thoughts …
I want to take on the actions the psalmist grants to God!
I want to “do valiantly”. I want to have all the “answers”. I want to be the “helper”.
I want to “exalt” or “discipline”. I want to “make my own day”!
Worse yet, I want other people to undertake to actions the psalmist gives to himself.
I want others to “give thanks to me”. … I want others to “call on me”.
I want others to “recount the deeds of me”! … I want others to “rejoice and be glad because of me”!
Oh, how we live in an upside-down world.
But that really displaces blame. In fact, it’s I that am upside down.
But to become a person “right side up” …
Where I do what I am to do, and respond to God doing what He is to do …
This takes a complete transformation of who I am.
I can’t do this with mere “behavior” changes.
If I merely change my actions, I can go back to thanking myself … exalting myself.
I must understand “this is the LORD’s doing”.
And then I can “marvel at it”!
Prayer
Thank you, God, that you are a “Doer”
That you are active and alive
That you do not just sit back and watch
Help me, exalt me …
And then give me a mind to count your doings,
And eyes to marvel,
And words to rejoice,
In Jesus name,
Amen