Psalms 108:1-13: a reflection

1My heart is steadfast, God. I will sing and I will make music with my soul. 2Wake up, harp and lyre! I will wake up the dawn. 3I will give thanks to you, LORD, among the nations. I will sing praises to you among the peoples. 4For your loving kindness is great above the heavens. Your faithfulness reaches to the skies. 5Be exalted, God, above the heavens! Let your glory be over all the earth. 6That your beloved may be delivered, save with your right hand, and answer us. 7God has spoken from his sanctuary: “In triumph, I will divide Shechem, and measure out the valley of Succoth. 8Gilead is mine. Manasseh is mine. Ephraim also is my helmet. Judah is my scepter. 9Moab is my wash pot. I will toss my sandal on Edom. I will shout over Philistia.” 10Who will bring me into the fortified city? Who will lead me to Edom? 11Haven’t you rejected us, God? You don’t go out, God, with our armies. 12Give us help against the enemy, for the help of man is vain. 13Through God, we will do valiantly, for it is he who will tread down our enemies.

This psalm opens not with a request or a complaint, but with a settled resolve: My heart is steadfast, God. I will sing and I will make music with my soul. Before he asks anything, the psalmist declares that his heart is steadfast, settled, fixed on God; and out of that steadfast heart flows his praise. His heart is not wavering or divided but steadfast, and this settledness is the ground of his praise and his confidence. Even as he faces enemies and asks God's help, his heart is steadfast, resolved to trust and praise God, not tossed about by his circumstances.

Notice the settled steadfastness of the psalmist's heart. He does not begin in agitation or wavering; he declares his heart steadfast, fixed, settled on God. This steadfastness is a resolve, a settled trust, out of which his praise flows; his heart is not divided or tossed about, but fixed. Even facing enemies and needing help, he is not in turmoil but steadfast, resolved to trust and praise God. The steadfast heart is a settled heart, fixed on God, not blown about by every circumstance or feeling. This settledness gave stability to his praise and his confidence; his heart was steadfast, and so he could sing.

That is worth taking to heart, for we too are called to cultivate a steadfast heart, settled and fixed on God. Our hearts can be easily agitated, wavering, tossed about by our circumstances and feelings, unsettled; but the psalmist declared his heart steadfast, fixed on God, and out of that settledness came his praise. A steadfast heart, settled on God, is not blown about by every circumstance; it is fixed, resolved to trust and praise him. Do not let your heart be endlessly agitated and tossed about by your circumstances; cultivate a steadfast heart, settled and fixed on God, as the psalmist declared his heart steadfast. Cultivate a steadfast heart, settled and fixed on God, resolved to trust and praise him rather than being tossed about by your circumstances, as the psalmist declared, my heart is steadfast, and sang; for a steadfast heart, fixed on God, gives stability to our praise and our trust, and it is settled on him rather than blown about by every circumstance and feeling.

Lord, this psalm opens not with a request or a complaint, but with a settled resolve: my heart is steadfast, God; I will sing and I will make music with my soul. Before he asks anything, the psalmist declares that his heart is steadfast, settled, fixed on you; and out of that steadfast heart flows his praise. His heart is not wavering or divided but steadfast, and this settledness is the ground of his praise and his confidence. Even as he faces enemies and asks your help, his heart is steadfast, resolved to trust and praise you. Show me the settled steadfastness of the psalmist's heart. He does not begin in agitation or wavering; he declares his heart steadfast, fixed, settled on you. This steadfastness is a resolve, a settled trust, out of which his praise flows; his heart is not divided or tossed about, but fixed. Even facing enemies and needing help, he is not in turmoil but steadfast. The steadfast heart is a settled heart, fixed on you, not blown about by every circumstance or feeling. Take that to my heart, for I too am called to cultivate a steadfast heart, settled and fixed on you. My heart can be easily agitated, wavering, tossed about by my circumstances and feelings, unsettled; but the psalmist declared his heart steadfast, and out of that settledness came his praise. A steadfast heart, settled on you, is not blown about by every circumstance. Keep me from letting my heart be endlessly agitated and tossed about by my circumstances; help me cultivate a steadfast heart, Lord, settled and fixed on you, resolved to trust and praise you, as the psalmist declared, my heart is steadfast, and sang.