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 138:8 (ESV)
Commitments carry great power. They birth goals, breed confidence, bring security, confirm relationships, define purpose, set direction. In them we see our true priorities and passions. The stronger our commitment-making becomes, the stronger our personal growth gets. Commitments seal the deal. Ask any elite athlete, successful coach, country leader, or married guy like me. That's how things get done!
The Great Commitment Maker is God. His words and actions align and come up big. We can learn a lot by examining the things to which God commits Himself. Three strong ones pop out in Psalm 138. Let's take a look.
HE GOES PUBLIC. God is committed to exalting His name and His word above all. He doesn't play “hide and seek,” just “seek.” He's committed to know and be known. And He wants us to go public WITH Him and FOR Him, too. (v.1-5)
HE KEEPS HIS DISTANCE. God is committed to keeping His distance from the proud but always closing the gap with the humble. Though He is on high, He identifies with the lowly in spirit. It's the only way He wants us coming to Him and, in turn, doing business with others. (v.6,7)
HE FULFILLS HIS PURPOSE. (v.8) God commits to defining purpose in life for people, not leaving them clueless and alone to figure big stuff like this out for themselves. He commits to helping us fulfill His purposes for us. What a major assist is this! It sure is great when we can help others find life purpose too.
Reflect: Are you going public with Jesus? Are you committed to helping others simply know what you know about Him? Are you committed to living a pride-fighting, humility-filled life and fulfilling your purpose by committing to know God's heart and mind on all your matters?
Prayer to consider today: O LORD, thank You for the rich commitments You've made. I sure have benefited! You went public, unashamed in expressing Your (un)dying love for me. You keep Your distance from me when I get prideful. Thanks for not letting me get away with that. Rich life purpose is mine because You define it so well. What a great trio of commitments I receive from You! Help me to share this great trio with others. It's a commitment I want to be great at too!
