Psalms Sunday #9

This was supposed to be posted for last week, but I am a little behind. :-)

Psalm 9 (King James Version)

1I will praise thee, O LORD, with my whole heart; I will shew forth all thy marvellous works.
2I will be glad and rejoice in thee: I will sing praise to thy name, O thou most High.
3When mine enemies are turned back, they shall fall and perish at thy presence.
4For thou hast maintained my right and my cause; thou satest in the throne judging right.
5Thou hast rebuked the heathen, thou hast destroyed the wicked, thou hast put out their name for ever and ever.
6O thou enemy, destructions are come to a perpetual end: and thou hast destroyed cities; their memorial is perished with them.
7But the LORD shall endure for ever: he hath prepared his throne for judgment.
8And he shall judge the world in righteousness, he shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness.
9The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.
10And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, LORD, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.
11Sing praises to the LORD, which dwelleth in Zion: declare among the people his doings.
12When he maketh inquisition for blood, he remembereth them: he forgetteth not the cry of the humble.
13Have mercy upon me, O LORD; consider my trouble which I suffer of them that hate me, thou that liftest me up from the gates of death:
14That I may shew forth all thy praise in the gates of the daughter of Zion: I will rejoice in thy salvation.
15The heathen are sunk down in the pit that they made: in the net which they hid is their own foot taken.
16The LORD is known by the judgment which he executeth: the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands. Higgaion. Selah.
17The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God. For the needy shall not always be forgotten: the expectation of the poor shall not perish for ever.
19Arise, O LORD; let not man prevail: let the heathen be judged in thy sight.
20Put them in fear, O LORD: that the nations may know themselves to be but men. Selah.

As I was reading this Psalm, I kept getting stuck on the first verse. David says that he will praise the Lord with his WHOLE heart and that he will show forth the marvellous works. I couldn't help but ask myself "Do I praise God with my whole heart"? or do I only give the part that is easy to give.

When people look at me, do they know that I serve the Most High God? Can they tell by my conversation? Can they tell by the music I listen to? Can they tell by the clothes I wear? Or do they only know that I am a servant of the most High because I tell them so?

I had a conversation with a friend once who said that he was going to take a break from singing at church to work on another project. I said to him " Are you going to be singing for God"? He asnwered, "Of course, I always sing for God" I said "Ok let me ask you in a different way. Will the people that you are singing to know that you are singing for God"?

My prayer is that I will be able to praise God with my whole heart and that my actions (and thoughts) will show forth His marvellous works.

For more views on Psalm #9 visit Butterflykiss21