Sometimes, when it rains, it pours. Sometimes it feels like you are on the receiving end of everything that is bad or negative or that drains you of your time, energy, and finances. You are diagnosed with a disease that is treatable but it has been fatal in other people. You have a parent who has several health issues and/or demands a lot of time and care. The country feels like it is going to you-know-where in a hand basket. The church, Christianity, is beat-up on all sides by people who hate Christianity and the pressure is on to conform or go out of existence. On an individual level, a congregational level, and a national level, we feel like, sometimes, we are in an up-hill battle.
That’s when we have to be reminded of the love of God – that God’s love is “higher than the clouds.”
Psalm 108 is a composite of two earlier psalms, Psalm 57 and 60. Psalm 57 says that it was written by David when he was hiding from King Saul in the cave. Psalm 60 was written when David was in battle against the Edomites in the valley called the “Valley of Salt.”
WORSHIP (1-6):
David begins by praising God. He writes that his heart is “steadfast.” The verb here means “established, firm.” His heart is stable and devoted to the God of heaven. So, he will sing praises with his soul (literally, “glory”). It seems to me that David uses the word “glory” here as a parallel with the use of God’s “glory” in verse 5. That is, it is David’s “glory” to worship the God of glory.
In verse 2, he calls on his instruments to “awake” so that he can use them to praise the God of heaven and with the instruments in his hands and the song in his heart, he will “awaken the dawn!” Verse 3: His worship will not be alone, as an individual. He will give thanks to Jehovah, “among the peoples.” He will sing praises “among the nations.” All things have been created by God; therefore, all things should worship or “glorify” God.
Why should man glorify / worship God? In verse 4, David tells us why: the lovingkindness of God and His truth. So, again in verse 5, David praises God by singing. God is more important than anything on earth and our relationship with God is more important than anything on earth. He must be exalted in our own lives and in our own hearts.
POWER (7-9):
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The power to answer prayers is found in the hand of God. This next paragraph shows that God is sovereign over the universe and holds every nation in His hands. “God has spoken in His holiness” (verse 7). That is, God speaks from heaven from where He rules and controls all that happens on the earth. What has God said from His holy dwelling place? That He controls all that happens on the earth.
SALVATION (10-13):
David worships God because David realizes that God has the power to answer His prayer and bring salvation / deliverance to him.
David, at one time (maybe more often) felt that God had rejected him. It was a feeling of the Jews when they were taken into Babylonian exile. God had rejected them. No. God had rejected their sin and they were punished because they were sinners. But, there is only one who can provide forgiveness, salvation, and deliverance.
In verse 12, David calls again on God’s help. This word “help” is used 65 times in the OT and most often, it is used of God’s help and then, in the context of military help. What that shows is the strength and power of the help that God provides.
What we must do, as worshipers, is to: sing, make music, give thanks, and exalt God above all else. With God’s help, we will “make wealth,” that is, “do valiantly” or “gain the victory” (NIV). “God will provide, in God’s own time and in God’s own place” (deClaisse-Walford, 826).
God’s faithful love is higher than the clouds. He will not forsake His own children.
–Paul Holland
