#DailyDevotion Begin Your Laments With Praise & Thanksgiving
Psalm 89 O LORD, I will sing of Your kindness forever, I will make known to all the coming generations how faithful You are. 2I will tell how Your grace is forever built in the heavens; how You firmly set up Your faithfulness there. 3“I made a covenant with the man I chose; I swore to My servant David: 4I will have your line continue forever and build your throne for all the generations.”
When we come to God with complaints and laments, it is good to first praise Him for all His goodness, mercy, kindness and grace. So the psalmist begins his complaint. As Matthew Henry in his commentary notes, “We think, when we are in trouble, that we get ease by complaining; but we do more – we get joy, by praising.” So yes, bring your complaints to the LORD to be eased but fill your joy by giving Him thanks and praise.
The subject of the Psalm is the LORD’s promise to David in 2 Samuel 7. The LORD promised that David’s line would continue and his Descendant would sit on his throne forever. David’s line indeed continues in order to bring about that Descendant who reigns forever, Jesus Christ into the world. The LORD fulfills this in the most wonderful way by joining Himself to David’s seed and becoming one with it.
5The heavens praise Your wonders, O LORD, and Your faithfulness in the congregation of the holy ones. 6Who in the sky can be compared to the LORD? Who among God’s sons is like the LORD? 7God, terrifying in the council of holy beings, is great and more awesome than any around Him. 8O LORD God of armies, who is like You? Your strength and faithfulness surround You.
The psalmist continues his praise of the LORD. He notes that creation the heavens above praise the LORD and declares His glory. The LORD’s faithfulness to all His promises is praised among those who dwell in the heavens. The LORD’s holy angels may seem quite magnificent, powerful and full of glory but they pale in comparison to their Creator. They stand in fearful awe of the Almighty. Indeed there is no one and nothing like the LORD. He is surrounded by strength and faithfulness.
9You rule the raging sea; when its waves rise, You quiet them. 10You crushed Rahab like a carcass; with Your strong arm You scattered Your enemies. 11Heaven is Yours and the earth is Yours, the world and everything in it – You made them. 12The north and the south-You created them; Tabor and Hermon sing Your name joyfully. 13Your arm is mighty, Your hand is strong, Your right hand is lifted high. 14Your throne is built on righteousness and justice. Mercy and truth come to serve You.
The pslamist then shifts his attention from heaven above to the earth below. The LORD rules the raging sea. This gives us a wonder sign of who Jesus is as He walks on the sea and calms the wind and the waves. Jesus is this LORD. Rahab here, like in the previous Psalms is Egypt, whom the LORD defeated for the Israelites. He gives glory to the LORD for His creation. All that in the world, the LORD has created. It praises the LORD and sings joyfully about Him.
Finally we have praise of the LORD for His strength, might, righteousness and justice, mercy and truth. These we will see manifest in our LORD Jesus Christ as He ministered among us in His visible visitation. Ultimately, these are manifested in Jesus in His death and resurrection, where justice, mercy, righteousness, truth and might are shown to us.
Heavenly Father, Your glory, power, might, righteousness, truth, mercy, kindness and justice are manifested in Your Son Jesus Christ and declared in heaven and earth. May we join creations praise and be filled with Your joy. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.