What if you were to be given a special invitation to dine with Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge, or with Charles, the Prince of Wales? That would be a great honor, one that a poor, humble person like myself would find amazing. Why, I wouldn’t even likely get to meet my village’s mayor, let alone dine with royalty! For most of us, to find ourselves seated next to a royal figure is unlikely because we are plain folks and they are royalty. In our psalm today, we will read of how God can do something like that for us.
As our psalm for this week begins, the unknown psalmist calls upon us to praise the Lord, which is what all believers should do each and every day (vs. 1). The psalmist calls us servants, a person in a humble and lowly position, there to wait upon someone greater. We, the redeemed, are God’s servants, who should serve the Lord with all obedience.
Praise is often the theme of many of the psalms, and Psalm 113 is one of them. Praise shouldn’t be just a one time event, not just once a week on Sundays in church, or even just once a day, maybe as we get our day started. No, God’s Word here tells us to praise the Lord from morning to night (vs. 3). All throughout the day a believer should be praising God. Praise Him when we wake up, for keeping us safe through the night. Praise Him for our meals. When we walk out of our door, praise Him for the sunshine or the rain, for the flowers, trees, or even the snow-covered ground. All throughout our day we should praise the Lord until our head hits the pillow. Even though we might not feel like praise, we need to commit ourselves to doing so. One way is to schedule praise breaks throughout the day (Psalm 119:164).
As our psalm continues, the writer describes how God is high and exalted, above all creation here on earth, including us (vs. 4-6). Yet, though He is the mighty God, dwelling in heaven above all, He is willing to humble Himself because of His love for us. This was especially shown when God sent His Son for our redemption.
Who are the ones that God loves and cares for? Who did He send His incarnate Son to die for? If God went by the values that society has set, it would only be for the wealthy, the powerful, the prestigious elite. It would only be for the “beautiful people” society values so highly. Fortunately that is not the case with the Lord God, as not too many of us fall into those categories. In God’s eyes, a person’s value has no relationship to their wealth or position on the social ladder. Though the world may be, the Lord is certainly not interested in whether someone’s name is listed in the Social Register. Many people whom the Lord has used for His purposes have come from humble beginnings or a lowly background, people who the world would never have considered (vs. 7-8). God overrides the social orders of the world.
Throughout the Bible we see God exalting the humble, and humbling the proud. Jesus said the first will be last, and the last first (Matthew 20:16). Imagine, as I stated at the start, being invited to associate with royalty. There would need to be someone who would come and buy me elegant clothing, fashion my hair just right, and give me a complete makeover so that I am suitable for that company of people. To be set with princes is a high privilege. That is a place of select society, yet God places us there. As the psalmist says, God raises us out of the dust and ash heap, and sets us with royalty. He has made us a royal priesthood (I Peter 2:9). Princes are immediately admitted to the king, while others must stand far off, hat in hand. If we have taken the Lord Jesus as our Savior, God raises us out of the dust heap, clothes us with His Son’s righteousness, and we become His child. As such, we are now princes, and we can draw near to His Throne of Grace (Hebrews 4:16). As princes, children of God, we have His wealth untold.
The Lord delights to help the poor, the hurting, and the suffering, if they will only trust Him. If we trust in the Lord Jesus as our Savior, He will lift us up, up out of the refuse that the world and society has seen fit to toss us, and give us the blessings of His heavenly kingdom.
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