- Psalm 137 is a lament. He is among those who were taken captive and deported away from their home. He doesn’t want to sing anymore. That’s the wrong response. We rejoice always. We pray without ceasing. We remember who the Lord is and what He has done and we rejoice. We pray for release from our trial and look expectantly to Him for deliverance and give thanks and rejoice. We sing. We sing in the dark night. It reminds us morning is coming. We sing in the trial to remind us of the joy set before us. We sing through pain because it draws God near, so we have the joy and pleasure of His presence. We rejoice. We always rejoice.
- I have a couple of favorite lines from Psalm 138. From verse 3, “And made me bold with strength in my soul.” And from verse 8, “The Lord will perfect that which concerns me.”
- What great words. I want God’s boldness in me. I need God’s boldness in me. I don’t want to shrink back; it’s too easy for me to do.
- The full verse is, “In the day when I cried out, You answered me, and made me bold with strength in my soul.” It was a response to crying out for help. The psalmist wasn’t feeling bold or strong in that moment. That’s how God came to help. In that moment the need wasn’t to wipe out the enemies, though God will help with that too. In that moment the need was boldness in the soul. The Lord sees and meets needs.
- In thinking of Psalm 137, one way the Lord might put boldness in our souls is by putting a song there, a song of reminder of our great God and His so great salvation.
- The other verse I mentioned is that God will perfect what concerns me. When you read the word perfect in Scripture. It’s a good bet it means complete. God’s going to see through to the end the things that concern me.
- Keep praying. Keep praying with perseverance. God’s going to come through and meet the need, but He’s also going to see it through to the end.
