46 The Lord lives! Praise be to my Rock!
Exalted be God my Savior!
47 He is the God who avenges me,
who subdues nations under me,
48 who saves me from my enemies.
You exalted me above my foes;
from a violent man you rescued me.
49 Therefore I will praise you, Lord, among the nations;
I will sing the praises of your name.
50 He gives his king great victories;
he shows unfailing love to his anointed,
to David and to his descendants forever.
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We come to the conclusion of this great psalm, as David praises God once again for the victory that He has worked in David’s life. Throughout this Psalm David has consistently and humbly given to the Lord all the credit for the abilities which David possesses, as well as the accomplishments that those abilities have enabled. It is all the Lord’s work, and so to Him belongs the credit and praise.
But that is not the only outcome. In verse 49, David announces that he will praise the Lord, not just in the privacy of his personal prayer, and not even just in the worship at the temple. He will praise the Lord “among the nations.” In other words, the Lord’s work in David’s life ultimately leads him to proclaim the Lord’s goodness to the world. God’s salvation leads to engagement in God’s mission.
God desires for this same dynamic to be active in our lives as well. Our victories, as much gifts of the Lord as David’s, may not seem as dramatic as what David writes about here. But they are every bit as much the Lord’s work. He has given me salvation and forgiveness. He has provided for me. He has equipped me with the abilities to face the challenges that rise up to meet me each day. He has delivered me from evil – no doubt in many ways of which I will never be aware. And He has given me eternal life and resurrection, victory over the greatest enemies of sin, death and the devil.
This undergirds my praise but is also to undergird my missional activity. The Lord desires for me to share with others what He has done. His call is to me and to each of us to praise Him “among the nations.” And I am reminded that in these days of COVID-19 lockdown, God intends for His mission to go forward. There are many ways in which I can share the good news of what God has done while stuck in my home. My online activities and my online social media presence provide many opportunities to share my faith and to invite others to learn of the Lord’s goodness.
This Psalm has focused heavily on giving the Lord credit for His works. This conclusion directs me to give this credit publicly as well, sharing the Lord’s goodness with those who do not yet follow Him. So my prayer today is that the Spirit direct me to be cognizant of opportunities to praise the Lord “among the nations,” along with empowering me to do so.
NOTE:
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