Read Psalm 138

“I give thanks to you with all my heart, LORD. I sing your praise before all other gods.” -Psalm 138:1

What a blessing it is that, embedded in our Holy Scriptures, we have inherited the Psalms, the songbook of the people of Israel. Like a family heirloom handed down, this gift is to be cherished by those of us who have received it. One of its treasures is the expression of the full range of human emotions. In its pages, we find permission to come before God when we are sad or happy, angry or at peace, confused or resolved, disappointed or content.

A primary perspective that we find in the Psalms is one of gratitude. In fact, you might say that the repetition of gratitude throughout this songbook is how we remember to keep the main thing the main thing. To give credit where credit is due. In the beginning of Psalm 138, we hear a congregational response to the first commandments given to God’s chosen people: “I am the Lord your God who brought you out of Egypt” and “You shall have no other gods before me.”

Perhaps we smirk and say that the days of other gods are long gone. No reasonable person today would consider assigning responsibility for our well-being to some other god before the One who has delivered us…or would we? While we may not bow before the totem pole or the golden calf, more contemporary imposters have captivated us…the stadium, the stock market, the salary, to name a few.          

Reading through the Psalms frees us from the deception. God and God alone deserves our praise. Let us indeed offer our gratitude for all the LORD has done.

Take a look at your calendar and your checkbook. What gods do they suggest may be distracting you from the One who deserves your thanks and praise?

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McKenzie, Scott and Miller, Kristine. The Journey Begins. Nashville, Tennessee: Abingdon Press, 2013.