Word Live: Trust In The Lord
I am surrounded by voices urging me to try, buy, consume and change my life. But now I bring myself before the Lord, maker of heaven and earth, the great redeemer and giver of life. Other voices are silenced in the presence of his majesty.
Bible passage
Psalm 115
Psalm 115
1 Not to us, Lord, not to us
but to your name be the glory,
because of your love and faithfulness.
2 Why do the nations say,
‘Where is their God?’
3 Our God is in heaven;
he does whatever pleases him.
4 But their idols are silver and gold,
made by human hands.
5 They have mouths, but cannot speak,
eyes, but cannot see.
6 They have ears, but cannot hear,
noses, but cannot smell.
7 They have hands, but cannot feel,
feet, but cannot walk,
nor can they utter a sound with their throats.
8 Those who make them will be like them,
and so will all who trust in them.
9 All you Israelites, trust in the Lord –
he is their help and shield.
10 House of Aaron, trust in the Lord –
he is their help and shield.
11 You who fear him, trust in the Lord –
he is their help and shield.
12 The Lord remembers us and will bless us:
he will bless his people Israel,
he will bless the house of Aaron,
13 he will bless those who fear the Lord –
small and great alike.
14 May the Lord cause you to flourish,
both you and your children.
15 May you be blessed by the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
16 The highest heavens belong to the Lord,
but the earth he has given to the human race.
17 It is not the dead who praise the Lord,
those who go down to the place of silence;
18 it is we who extol the Lord,
both now and for evermore.
Praise the Lord.
Holy Bible, New International Version® Anglicized, NIV® Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Explore
Some scholars suggest that this psalm was written at the time of Israel’s exile in Babylon (circa 597–539 BC). As residents in an empire of gods, they were exposed daily to shrines, altars, statues and images that would have been alien to them. Such gods are ‘made by human hands’, says the psalmist, and thus controlled by their makers (vs 2–8). In this context, the psalm is a call to steadfast faith in the God who is above all others.
The psalm seems to hinge on verses 9–11 where God is known by his covenant name, translated as the Lord in English. This is the name by which he discloses himself to Moses (Exodus 3:14), the One who cannot be contained or defined by language. He is uncreated, self-sufficient and free to act as he pleases. These verses, however, are not in praise of an unknowable deity. The Lord is trustworthy because he loves and cares for his people, even in the dislocation of exile. He is the God of covenant relationship who deserves our hallelujahs (v 18).
Author
Gethin Russell-Jones
Respond
Let’s pause and turn away from all the things that take glory away from the Lord and commit our ourselves anew to trusting and worshipping him.
Deeper Bible study
Give thanks to the Lord with your whole heart!
Sometimes God’s people are called to assert truth in the face of what is known as ‘fake news’. This applies also to our fundamental beliefs. ‘Not this…, but that…’ Such defining negatives1 mark the beginning and the end of this psalm. It is likely that pagan neighbours had been jeering that God had let his people down (v 2), but the latter knew that their identification was in the Lord, not in the impotent idols of their enemies (vs 3–8). ‘This…, not those…’ They were defined by their belief in the all-powerful God.
The psalmist therefore calls for trust (vs 9–11); the other side of that coin is God’s blessing (vs 12–15). We use the term ‘God bless you’ rather loosely these days. What is meant by it? In the Old Testament it generally denotes God’s good gifts, usually material ones (cf v 14) and often contrasted with curses.2 In the New Testament, it can often refer to material good gifts, but also to the spiritual good things brought by the gospel.3 Those who are ‘blessed’ are truly happy.4 When we bless God, we are giving him a gift – the gift of praise and thanksgiving. Our giving can never outdo God’s giving, but we would do well to reflect on how much we take his blessings for granted and how much we bless him for them!
In the light of the resurrection, our understanding of verse 17 needs to change, because we know that those who die loving the Lord will indeed praise him for all eternity. However, the psalm is for us who are living now: it calls us to bless him at all times (v 18). Some Christians talk about developing ‘a culture of thankfulness’. Is this something that you need to do?
Thank you, Lord, that not only are you all-powerful, but you delight to bless your children. May we be constantly thankful for your blessings.
1 M Wilcock, The Message of Psalms 73–150, IVP, 2001, p182 2 Eg Deut 28 3 Eg Eph 1:3 4Matt 5:1–12
Author
Vivien Whitfield
