I Will Give Thanks to the LORD
(For the choirmaster. To the tune of “The Death of the Son.” A Psalm of David)
I will give thanks to the LORD with all my heart; I will recount all Your wonders. I will be glad and rejoice in You; I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High.
When my enemies retreat, they stumble and perish before You. For You have upheld my just cause; You sit on Your throne judging righteously. You have rebuked the nations; You have destroyed the wicked; You have erased their name forever and ever. The enemy has come to eternal ruin, and You have uprooted their cities; the very memory of them has vanished.
But the LORD abides forever; He has established His throne for judgment. He judges the world with justice; He governs the people with equity. The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. Those who know Your name trust in You, for You, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You.
Sing praises to the LORD, who dwells in Zion; proclaim His deeds among the nations. For the Avenger of bloodshed remembers; He does not ignore the cry of the afflicted. Be merciful to me, O LORD; see how my enemies afflict me! Lift me up from the gates of death, that I may declare all Your praises—that within the gates of Daughter Zion I may rejoice in Your salvation.
The nations have fallen into a pit of their making; their feet are caught in the net they have hidden. The LORD is known by the justice He brings; the wicked are ensnared by the work of their hands.
Higgaion Selah
The wicked will return to Sheol—all the nations who forget God. For the needy will not always be forgotten; nor the hope of the oppressed forever dashed. Rise up, O LORD, let not man prevail; let the nations be judged in Your presence. Lay terror upon them, O LORD; let the nations know they are but men.
Selah”
“When my enemies retreat, they stumble and perish before You.” Reading this psalm, we’re reminded that David spent much of his early career as a warrior with King Saul chasing his men and him all over Israel, particularly the most desolate country possible. At one point, David and his men were hiding in the wilderness near the Dead Sea. Saul nearly caught David, but God delivered him.
“For You have upheld my just cause; You sit on Your throne judging righteously. You have rebuked the nations; You have destroyed the wicked; You have erased their name forever and ever. The enemy has come to eternal ruin, and You have uprooted their cities; the very memory of them has vanished.” Sometimes we view current events and despair. Is God really still on His throne or not? David’s answer is a resounding “YES!” NEVER, NEVER, NEVER FORGET THAT GOD STILL REIGNS! People make terrible choices because they misuse free will, but God remains sovereign.
“But the LORD abides forever; He has established His throne for judgment. He judges the world with justice; He governs the people with equity. The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. Those who know Your name trust in You, for You, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You.” We can trust in the Lord at all times, no matter how severe the trials we are going through.
“Sing praises to the LORD, who dwells in Zion; proclaim His deeds among the nations. For the Avenger of bloodshed remembers; He does not ignore the cry of the afflicted. Be merciful to me, O LORD; see how my enemies afflict me! Lift me up from the gates of death, that I may declare all Your praises—that within the gates of Daughter Zion I may rejoice in Your salvation. The nations have fallen into a pit of their making; their feet are caught in the net they have hidden. The LORD is known by the justice He brings; the wicked are ensnared by the work of their hands.”
God gives people a chance to do course corrections and act righteously; however, God does not allow people to persist in evil-doing. Every dictator who ever lived eventually dies. Every person who mistreats others eventually dies. The Bible tells us in Hebrews 9:27-28 that “Just as man is appointed to die once, and after that to face judgment, so also Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many; and He will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who eagerly await Him.” At present, Vladimir Putin, the head of the Russian government, is persisting in his war on the innocent nation of Ukraine, but Putin will eventually die and answer for his evil deeds.
“The wicked will return to Sheol—all the nations who forget God. For the needy will not always be forgotten; nor the hope of the oppressed forever dashed. Rise up, O LORD, let not man prevail; let the nations be judged in Your presence. Lay terror upon them, O LORD; let the nations know they are but men.” No matter how powerful a particular nation might be, God still has the final word. Despite all Saul’s attempts to wipe out David, God protected David, preserving his life so that he could become king. We too may trust in the Lord, knowing that He hears us and will deliver us.
APPLICATION: “Sooner or later, he’s goin’ to get his comeuppance!” I was working in Charleston, WV, and a crusty old fellow from back in the hollers was describing one of his neighbors who was an irritating nuisance. There are many times when we don’t understand why God doesn’t do something about evil people right now! Why allow the international drug trades and sex trades to flourish? Why allow cybercrime? Why allow corruption in government? We want deliverance and we want it immediately.
God views events from an eternal point of view. Difficult as it is to believe, God has sent His Son Jesus Christ to die for evil people as well as good people-for the Hitlers and the Putins. Why? Because all of us have sinned and have come short of the glory of God. There is not a single person on earth who can earn his or her way into heaven. None of us is justified by the good deeds we have done; we are justified by faith in Jesus Christ and in the blood sacrifice He has made for our sins. If Vladimir Putin repents today and believes in Jesus, trusting Jesus for his salvation, Putin will go to heaven. But if he rejects Jesus, he will go to hell. The same thing goes for drug lords and those manipulating sexual slavery.
In David’s case, Saul persisted in his sins without repentance and eventually died in battle. Hitler committed suicide, presumably without repentance. We will never know the fate of many evil men until eternity. But the message of this psalm for us is simple: we can trust God to deliver us and to protect us, no matter what happens. Trials will come and we will have to endure them, but God will be with us in the trials and will bring us out of them.
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, many of us are suffering in various ways and are desperate for answers and encouragement. Please send Your light and Your grace into our hearts and help us to remember that You are our Supreme Deliverer. In the matchless Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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