Psalm 137  - Exiled from his home, this writer paints a picture of grief.. "There we sat down and wept when we remembered Zion."   The enemy harassed them, ordering them to sing a joyful song.. but their hearts were too broken.  Jerusalem was the city of God and it was destroyed.  The Babylonians had razed it.  The temple was broken down and stripped of all its beauty.  What sadness this song of grief brings to our hearts.  It does not even turn to a remembrance of joy, like so many psalms do.  Instead it yearns for the destruction of those who have done this devastation.  The writer calls for recompense.  And in God' s timing, that recompense will be done.


Psalm 138  This psalm is one of thanksgiving. After the sadness of the 137th psalm, this one returns us to gladness and joy.  David knew much grief, but he chose to turn to the Lord with a thankful heart.  " I will give Thee thanks with all my heart; I will sing praises to Thee before the gods." 

David's song of thanksgiving is sincere, zealous, bold, and freely given.  He holds nothing back.
David exalts God, even in the midst of cultural icons, corrupt religions, and demonic beings.  He bows only to God.  There is no other allegiances.  No other hope. No other Name.
David gives thanks for God's lovingkindness and truth.  The Lord has revealed Himself to us in these two vital areas.  He loves us and speaks to us.  He regards us.  He sees us and cares for us with His own Hand.  He accomplishes His purposes for each of us.. He never forsakes us.
God's Truth is magnified, David writes, " For Thou hast magnified Thy word according to Thy name."   His Word brings kings to bow before Him.  His Word shows us His glory.  The glory of His grace, which reaches down to the lowly and stretches out against the enemy.


As I mentioned before, the book one thousand gifts by Ann Voskamp, is about thanksgiving and joy.  It is in giving thanks to God for all things, for every thing,  that we become more aware of God's goodness... of His Presence... of His glory.  Ann writes this, " Giving thanks for one thousand things is ultimately an invitation to slow time down with weight of full attention."  To"enter into the current moments with the weight of me all here.... This is where God is.  In the present .  I am-- His very name.... This is supreme gift, time. God Himself framed in the moment. When I'm present, I meet I Am, the very presence of a present God. "

In Sprugeon's book, The Fullness of Joy,  I read this, " The invitations of the Gospel are invitations to happiness.  In delivering God's message we do not ask men to come to a funeral, but to a wedding feast.... The Gospel is a source of joy to all who really hear it and accept it, for its very name means 'glad tidings of good things."  We rejoice and give thanks to Him who "hath done marvelous things,"
We were enslaved by sin.  God sent His Son ,"our Great Champion" who "undertook our cause, entered the lists, and pledged to fight for us until the end; and He has done it."   Our main foe is our own sin, Sprugeon teaches, the guilt of it and the power of it.  Christ satisfied the law and our guilt has been vanquished. He has dealt sin a "deathblow"... and although it lingers, it is being crucified, nailed to a cross and unable to make us "run the way of transgressors as we once did."

Father in heaven,  like the psalmist, we experience grief at the devastations we have seen in this world, and we wonder if we will ever sing again.  But then, we remember to give thanks, to sing a new song, to stop and give You our full attention, to be in Your Presence.  You have loved us.  You have given us Your Word, Your truth,  the Gospel.. the Good news of Salvation through Christ Jesus, the Lord. In Him, we are justified.  In Him we are set free.  In Him, sin is no longer our captor, for He has overcome.  Let our hearts be filled with joy and thanksgiving!  Let our mouths give You all praise and honor.  We love You, Lord, the everlasting God, full of glory and grace. Amen.