July 13, 2011

Psalm 138 (Click to see scripture)

Bible in One Year Passages:
Luke 9:18-22, 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8, 1 Chronicles 25-26

Journal Entry

Scripture

I give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart; before the gods I sing your praise. (v. 1)

Observation

There are many gods in our lives. For some it’s an inanimate object, while for others it could be another person. It could also be wealth, power, social status, relationship or science. Just about anything can be a god if we worship it and put our heart and trust in it. For David, however, none of these gods replace one and true God. In the presence of all these gods and perhaps in the presence of all his people, David proclaims unambiguously that his object of worship in whom he puts his whole heart is the Lord. There is no confusion in his mind, that nothing can replace God and He is above all things or gods. Knowing this, thanksgiving to God comes naturally and whole heartily.

Application

We live in an increasingly more complex society where all of our sensory are constantly being stimulated, especially for those of us who live in an urban environment. In the midst of all these, we have surrounded ourselves with mini-gods, objects of our worship, whether it is people we see on TV or money or career or physique or whatever we obsess over. These things compete for our hearts daily, even on a minute-by-minute basis. Sadly, we have surrounded ourselves with these things that are only temporary to the point that there is no room for the eternal.

Today’s passage reminds me that I need to remember God in the midst of my daily living, to be able to praise him in the midst of my busyness, to know where my real source of sustenance is, to be able to give Him my genuine thanksgiving. Because nothing is really more important than my relationship with God. That is the only thing that will last.

Prayer

Lord, thank you for reminding me that you are the Lord of my life. I worship you with my whole being and want to rely on you for all things. Forgive me for forgetting this and replacing you sometimes with other gods. I know this is an atrocious sin against you and I wish I would never do it again. But the truth is that I forget sometimes. I pray that you will be slow to anger and be merciful to me when I slip. In the depth of my heart, I know that you are my Lord to whom I am eternally grateful. Today, I praise you and worship you with all of my heart and soul. Please help me to carry this on throughout the rest of my life. Amen.

--tchang