Psalm 138:1-8
Lord, Provider, and Friend

I will give you thanks with my whole heart.
      Before the gods, I will sing praises to you.
I will bow down toward your holy temple,
      and give thanks to your Name for your loving kindness and for your truth;
      for you have exalted your Name and your Word above all.
In the day that I called, you answered me.
      You encouraged me with strength in my soul.
All the kings of the earth will give you thanks, Yahweh,
      for they have heard the words of your mouth.
Yes, they will sing of the ways of Yahweh;
      for great is Yahweh's glory.
For though Yahweh is high, yet he looks after the lowly;
      but the proud, he knows from afar.
Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you will revive me.
      You will stretch forth your hand against the wrath of my enemies.
      Your right hand will save me. Yahweh will fulfill that which concerns me;
      your loving kindness, Yahweh, endures forever.
      Don't forsake the works of your own hands.

World English Bible

This is a wonderful psalm, repeating essential themes for a healthy spiritual life and reminding us of God's care and God's power. Many of the themes in this psalm are easy to understand, but there is one line that is problematic--the first line in the final stanza.

The World English Bible, used for the above passage, states "Yahweh will fulfill that which concerns me", and the New American Standard Bible says much the same. The New International Version states "The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me", and the New Living Translation agrees with the meaning from the NIV. The Contemporary English Version states "You, LORD, will always treat me with kindness." To research further, we can read the passage in Young's Literal Translation, which attempts to "preserve the tense and word usage as found in the original Greek and Hebrew writings", and is an interesting glimpse into the original text. Young's reads "Jehovah doth perfect for me", a phrase that doesn't make much sense in English, and similarly lacks clarity for modern readers of the ancient Hebrew passage. We don't know if there is a word that was accidentally omitted in centuries past or if this phrase was an ancient idiom whose meaning has been lost.

What we have are three different interpretations--all of which speak of the true nature of God, are consistent with the message of the psalmist, and can be used by God to speak powerful messages of love and obedience to us. I will argue that this is God's fingerprint once again in the Word, taking what could be human frustration over what is the "correct" translation and instead presenting to us three different meanings that are all true.

Look first at the idea that God acts on all those things that bother us. We can attest to how active God is in our individual lives. God has a special plan unique to every person, and God is working out that plan even as life challenges us and as we run away from God's way. The psalmist even observes that God's hand deflects the "wrath of my enemies," teaching us that we can trust every detail and every problem to God.

The second interpretation is that God is molding us according to God's purpose, and while often we can't comprehend what that purpose will be, we know this to be true. The psalmist writes "you have exalted your Name and your Word above all", and that certainly includes God's dominion over those of us who have pledged to follow in the Way.

The third interpretation I listed above is that God treats us with kindness, showing the Love that caused the Almighty God on high to look after the lowly. That poetic contrast is strong and intentionally powerful in the original text of this psalm. The God who is so great that we ought to be required to worship from far away chooses to walk beside the lowly, the abased, and the meek. This psalmist understood this nature of God even before Jesus came to earth in physical form so He could live with us.

Now, the reason God walks along with the humble is so God can form them and transform them into strong spiritual beings. God's purpose for each of us, no matter the specifics, will always include teaching us to be concerned about heavenly matters more than about earthly matters, so that we will be more able tools in God's hands. God's ways are always ultimately Good and good for us, and, with the psalmist, we should give God thanks with our whole hearts that God is so attentive to each of us!