Psalm 108:1

Psalm 108:1

My heart is steadfast

This Psalm is unusual in that some of its content is copied elsewhere, almost to the letter, see for instance Psalm 57:7-11 and Psalm 60:5-12. Reading these beautiful words convinces me that they are worth repeating! And the author of all of these Psalms was of course, David, and he is surely entitled to repeat Himself. 

“My heart, O God, is steadfast, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and make music. Awake, my soul! Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn. I will praise you, Lord, among the nations; I will sing of you among the peoples. For great is your love, reaching to the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth.” Psalm 57:7-11.

 

V1        When something is steadfast it is trustworthy and reliable. So, this opening verse has David eager to convince the Lord God that there is no shallowness and wavering with him, he has searched his heart, and he finds that his faith and his devotion to the Lord are resolute and dependable. Can we look deep within ourselves and make a similar claim? Are their parts of our inner being that are easily swayed, that fold under pressure from the taunts of the enemy? Is everything within us and about us devoted to the praise and glory of our God?

If we are steadfast then we will sing and make music to the One we love and adore. That is true in human relationships so it will also be true of our relationship with the Lord. You can tell who is steadfast in Him, they love to sing His praises. The literal translation of this verse says, “I will sing and make music even with my glory.” This is another way of David saying that the very core of his being is given over to the Lord, the songs of worship and praise are not just the work of a talented poet and musician, these songs come from deep within, they are an expression of his very inner being. We all have glory within us, it is where that glory is directed that marks our progress through life. It can be directed at ourselves, at a sport or football club, our work or our leisure ….  the list is a long one. Whichever cause we choose, that is where our songs of worship and praise will be most expressed. Think about it!

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