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No. 41Psalms of Thanksgiving
Psalm 138
Though the LORD is high, He looks after the lowly
StatusEssential
Read2 min
Study5 min
DifficultyBeginner
Psalm 138 · A psalm of David · Israel; facing the temple
The Point
Psalm 138 turns on one line that holds two things most people cannot hold together: though the LORD is high, He looks after the lowly. Height and attention usually trade against each other, the more elevated something is, the less it notices what is small. The psalm says God is the exception, and everything else in it follows from that.
Story Snapshot
David gives thanks with his whole heart, singing praise and bowing toward God's temple for His steadfast love and faithfulness. He recalls that on the day he called, God answered and strengthened his soul. He anticipates all the kings of the earth giving thanks when they hear God's words. He declares that though God is high He regards the lowly, and expresses confidence that God will preserve him and fulfill His purpose for him.
Main Characters
| Character | Role | Key Trait | Why They Matter |
|---|---|---|---|
| David | The thankful low one | Grateful, confident, still asking | Testifies that God answered and preserved him |
| The LORD | The high God who stoops | Exalted, attentive | Regards the lowly and knows the proud from afar |
| The Kings of the Earth | The future worshipers | Listening, joining | Will give thanks when they hear God's words |
Story Summary
The psalm opens with wholehearted thanks, sung before the gods, meaning in defiance of every rival claim to deity, with David bowing toward God's holy temple to give thanks for God's steadfast love and faithfulness, because God has exalted His name and His word above all. He testifies briefly and concretely: on the day I called, You answered me, You strengthened my soul with strength. Then the horizon widens, all the kings of the earth will give thanks to the LORD when they have heard the words of His mouth, and they will sing of the ways of the LORD because His glory is great. The psalm's central claim follows: though the LORD is high, He regards the lowly, but the haughty He knows from a distance. David then applies it to his own circumstances, though he walks in the midst of trouble, God preserves his life, stretching out His hand against the wrath of his enemies, and God's right hand delivers him. He closes with confidence and a plea in the same breath, the LORD will fulfill His purpose for me, Your steadfast love endures forever, do not forsake the work of Your hands.
Timeline
- Wholehearted ThanksSung before every rival claim to deity.
- The TestimonyOn the day I called, You answered me.
- Kings Will JoinThe nations' rulers give thanks when they hear.
- High Yet RegardingGod attends the lowly, knows the haughty from afar.
- In the Midst of TroubleGod preserves and delivers.
- Purpose and PleaHe will fulfill His purpose; do not forsake me.
Themes
ThanksgivingHumilityConfidenceGod's AttentionPerseverance
What This Story Means
Psalm 138 sets up a contrast that runs through Scripture: the higher God is, the more remarkable His attention to the small. The psalm states it as paradox, high but regarding the lowly, and then adds the counterpart, the haughty He knows from afar, meaning proximity to God is inversely related to self-importance. David's own testimony is modest in scale, he called and was answered and strengthened, which is exactly the kind of ordinary rescue the psalm's theology would predict. The ending is worth noticing for its honesty: he declares that God will fulfill His purpose for him, and then immediately asks God not to abandon the work of His hands. Confidence and pleading are not treated as contradictory. That is a fair picture of most faith, sure of God's character while still asking Him not to stop.
Bringing It Home
- God's height is exactly what makes His attention to the small remarkable.
- Self-importance creates distance from God, not access.
- Ordinary answered prayer is worth recounting, not just dramatic rescue.
- Confidence in God and continued pleading belong together.
Key Verse
Psalm 138:8
“Yahweh will fulfill that which concerns me; your loving kindness, Yahweh, endures forever. Don’t forsake the works of your own hands.”
Did You Know?
- 'Before the gods' signals praise offered in defiance of rival deities.
- The psalm anticipates foreign kings joining Israel's worship.
- 'The work of Your hands' refers to the psalmist himself, made by God.
- It sits among a final collection of David psalms near the Psalter's close.
Read Next
What This Shows Us About God
- God is exalted and attentive at the same time.
- God answers on the day He is called.
- God finishes what He begins in His people.
What This Shows Us About People
- We assume we are too small for God's notice.
- Our pride puts distance between us and God.
- We hold confidence and anxiety together and God bears with it.
A Question to Sit With
Do I believe God is too high to notice my small trouble, and what would change if I took this psalm at its word?
Prayer
LORD, You are high above everything, and still You look after the lowly. On the day I called, You answered. When I walk in the middle of trouble, preserve me. Fulfill Your purpose for me, and do not forsake the work of Your own hands. Amen.