“I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart; I will tell of all thy wonderful deeds.” – Psalm 9:1
I have enjoyed reading the Psalms as we read through the Bible this year. The Psalms were written for several occasions. Some were songs written to express the deepest of emotions, such as fear, worry, shame, and joy. Others were written to help the faithful worship God in the temple or while on pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Psalm 9 was written to express thanksgiving to God. The purpose of this Psalm is to express praise to a God who has done marvelous things for God’s children.
David wrote Psalm 9. We know so much about David, and we understand that God did much for David. It was appropriate for David to express his gratitude to God. David was the youngest child of a family that did not have significant political power. In ancient Israel, the youngest son had little authority, power, and responsibility. When we first meet David, he has been caring for the sheep…not a glamorous job. When David’s brothers went to war, David stayed home with his father to care for the sheep. David was only present to fight Goliath because his father had sent him there as a messenger to bring back word of the battle with the Philistines and deliver food to his older brothers. Although David is successful in battle, he finds himself on the wrong side of King Saul. He eventually must run and hide from Saul. And famously, we know of David’s failure when he gives into temptation and selfishness with Bathsheba. He even has her husband, Uriah, killed to cover his transgression.
David had many struggles, but he also had many beautiful triumphs. At an early age, he is selected by God to be the future King of Israel. He becomes a musician in the King’s court. He defeats the giant Goliath and saves Israel. David becomes one of the greatest kings of Israel. He is given the plans to help build the temple of God. These mighty achievements are significant for anyone, but especially a shepherd boy from Bethlehem. It is no wonder David was able to write, “I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart; I will tell of all thy wonderful deeds.” (Psalm 9:1)
If we take a few moments, we can all look at our lives and recall struggles and triumphs. I believe God has been with us through it all. The important thing for people of faith is to offer our gratitude to God. This is not to discount our hard work but to say that much of what we have is due to a God who is generous to His children. Today, I am thankful for all that God has done for me. He has brought me through trials and blessed me in so many ways. “I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart; I will tell of all thy wonderful deeds.”
Rev. Keith King, Pastor of Worship
