“Blessed to be a blessing” has been our theme for 2020 at Fellowship Bible Church. Psalm 144 speaks of such blessing in the vertical dimension. David “blessed” or praised Yahweh (1a) for the blessings he has given his people (15a). He sang of those blessing as a new song (9a) or prayer for upcoming generations (12), for material prosperity in the form of abundance of grain, sheep & cattle (tangible cultural symbols of wealth), so that no one in the streets of his kingdom would have reason to cry out in distress (13-14).
What makes blessed people people to be the most admired and envied? It’s their relationship with Yahweh: “Blessed are the people whose God is Yahweh!” (15b). David knew Yahweh well from what he experienced in the past. This psalm reminds me of Psalm 18, where David used some of the same metaphors for Yahweh. Here he referred to Yahweh as “my rock” and the one who trained David for war. Yahweh was David’s “steadfast love,” “fortress,” “stronghold,” “deliverer,” “shield,” and the one in whom David took refuge (1-2). David had such a confident view of God here because of what he learned during the days he fled from King Saul (the setting of Psalm 18). I can’t expect to know God well, if I don’t experience trials & the testing of my faith. It’s during those times we realize our own weaknesses & limitations and find God to be our strength, sweetness, and stability. Like David, I can appeal to God to do for me now what he has done for me in the past (5-11). God’s faithfulness in the past is the basis for my appeal to him in the present, for God does not change (Malachi 3:6).
David had a proper view of God because he has a realistic view of himself and all people. “Man is like a breath; his days are like a passing shadow” (4). So I will enjoy God’s blessings to me today, but I will not presume upon them for tomorrow, because I don’t know what tomorrow holds for me (James 4:14). I will trust Jesus Christ, who is already present tomorrow & remains the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8). Today I will bless the LORD for his blessings to me & all God’s people. What a God he is, and how blessed we are!
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