I give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart; before the gods I sing your praise; 2 I bow down toward your holy temple and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness, for you have exalted above all things your name and your word. 3 On the day I called, you answered me; my strength of soul you increased. 4 All the kings of the earth shall give you thanks, O Lord, for they have heard the words of your mouth, 5 and they shall sing of the ways of the Lord, for great is the glory of the Lord. 6 For though the Lord is high, he regards the lowly, but the haughty he knows from afar. 7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life; you stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and your right hand delivers me. 8 The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands. Psalm 138
The other day, I came across an article that featured an old interview with the famous professor, Stephen Hawking. In it, the interviewer asked him questions about faith and creation, and Hawking gave this answer. He said, “We are each free to believe what we want and it’s my view that the simplest explanation is there is no God. No one created the universe and no one directs our fate. This leads me to a profound realization, there’s probably no Heaven and no afterlife, either. We have this one life to appreciate the grand design of the universe and for that I am extremely grateful.”
As I read his quote, I felt bad for him. I felt pity for him in that this view was his worldview. It is a worldview without hope. It is a worldview without life. It is a worldview without grace, help, joy, certainty, or peace!
It is a far cry from David’s worldview. In fact, it is the exact opposite of his. David has a Lord Who answers and helps him in times of trouble (v.3). David has a Lord Who sits over all (v.4). David has a Lord Who is renowned and great (v.5). David has a Lord Who sees the lowly, and notices them (v.6)! David has a Lord Who preserves and guides his life and fate (v.7). David has a Lord Who has a unique purpose, not just for him, but for all of us!
David’s Lord is our Lord, Jesus Christ, Who has placed His exalted name on us through baptism, and Who uses His exalted Word to bring us life, salvation, strength, grace, wisdom and so much more! Our Savior will not forsake us, and remains faithful to us, even when we are not! When we walk in the midst of trouble, by faith, we can say with David, “you preserve my life; you stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and your right hand delivers me,” for the hands that do it are none other than Jesus’ nail-marked hands from Calvary.
What a worldview we have and have been given! What a life we have, and a Savior we have! And so, let us say with David, “I give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart….”
-Pastor Kooi
(Originally published in Emmaus Footprints, Vol. XXV, Number 11, June 2024.)