Read Psalm 108.
Sometimes in the throws of life it can be difficult to step back and praise God. Along with that, remembering to give God glory for no reason other than the fact that He is God can be even harder to remember. For me, even when I do take the time to thank God, it is almost always for some way He has blessed me directly. And while it is important to recognize the blessings that the Lord provides for us, there is a profound depth to a relationship with God based in revelry of who He is. Our Creator, our Redeemer, our Savior, our Shelter, our Salvation. It is because of the nature of God that we are who we are, made in His image, and He deserves glory.
In Psalms 108 the Psalmist begins by fervent praise to God. There are quite a few lessons that can be received here, but there is one in particular I would like to focus in on. Praising God for no reason other than He is God and He deserves to be glorified. David does this and does so by offering up instrumental praise to the Lord, a blessing of talent the Lord had given him.
“Awake, O harp and lyre!
I will awake the dawn!”
Our Heavenly Father has blessed each and every one of us in different ways, and it is our purpose to use these gifts to glorify Him. The Lord calls us to this to experience the fullness in living a faithful life seeking to become what He wants us to be. Glorifying God in a way that can be seen by others and provide encouragement to those around us.
The Psalmist closes by asking the Lord for help.
“Who will bring me to the fortified city?
Who will lead me to Edom?
You do no go out, O God, with our armies.
Oh grant us help against the foe,
For vain is the salvation of man!”
For the Psalmist, this meant asking God to see him and the Israelites into victory in battle against the enemies of their people. For us, this may be a difficult coworker or a struggling relationship with a family member. When we realize the divinity of God and open ourselves to praising His name, recognizing His sovereignty, and submitting ourselves to Him, then we can realize that He made a promise to hear our prayers. We realize that He is good and His will is what is ultimately working for our good even when we cannot see it. Remember who God is, and be encouraged to know that He is in control.
-- Sam Luter