Praise Him Because You Can Trust Him

1 Shout for joy in the LORD, O you righteous!
    Praise befits the upright.
2 Give thanks to the LORD with the lyre;
    make melody to him with the harp of ten strings!
3 Sing to him a new song;
    play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts.

4 For the word of the LORD is upright,
    and all his work is done in faithfulness.
5 He loves righteousness and justice;
    the earth is full of the steadfast love of the LORD.

6 By the word of the LORD the heavens were made,
    and by the breath of his mouth all their host.
7 He gathers the waters of the sea as a heap;
    he puts the deeps in storehouses.

8 Let all the earth fear the LORD;
    let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him!
9 For he spoke, and it came to be;
    he commanded, and it stood firm.

10 The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing;
    he frustrates the plans of the peoples.
11 The counsel of the LORD stands forever,
    the plans of his heart to all generations.
12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD,
    the people whom he has chosen as his heritage!

13 The LORD looks down from heaven;
    he sees all the children of man;
14 from where he sits enthroned he looks out
    on all the inhabitants of the earth,
15 he who fashions the hearts of them all
    and observes all their deeds.
16 The king is not saved by his great army;
    a warrior is not delivered by his great strength.
17 The war horse is a false hope for salvation,
    and by its great might it cannot rescue.

18 Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear him,
    on those who hope in his steadfast love,
19 that he may deliver their soul from death
    and keep them alive in famine.

20 Our soul waits for the LORD;
    he is our help and our shield.
21 For our heart is glad in him,
    because we trust in his holy name.
22 Let your steadfast love, O LORD, be upon us,
    even as we hope in you. – Psalm 33:1-22 ESV

While the author of this psalm is unnamed, the men who translated the Hebrew Bible into Greek (the Septuagint) believed David to be its source. It has all the hallmarks of David’s literary style. The majority, if not all, of the first 72 psalms were attributed to David because of the last line of Psalm 72: “The prayers of David, the son of Jesse, are ended” (Psalm 72:20 ESV). 

This entire psalm is a song of praise to God, declaring His righteousness, justice, faithfulness, and love. In lyrical prose, God is portrayed as a just and righteous judge, the all-powerful creator of heaven and earth, the sovereign Lord over the nations, and the merciful Savior of His chosen people. From His vantage point in heaven, God looks down on the world He made and the people to whom He gave life, justly judging their behavior and carrying out His will for their lives.

The LORD looks down from heaven
    and sees the whole human race.
From his throne he observes
    all who live on the earth.
He made their hearts,
    so he understands everything they do. – Psalm 33:13-15 NLT

Despite the plans of men and the machinations of the nations, God’s “plans stand firm forever; his intentions can never be shaken” (Psalm 33:11 NLT). His will cannot be thwarted. His sovereign strategies for His creation can be resisted but never overthrown. 

The LORD frustrates the plans of the nations
    and thwarts all their schemes. – Psalm 33:10 NLT

This psalm is a powerful reminder of God’s invincible power and indomitable will. He can be doubted, rejected, ignored, and dismissed as irrelevant or nonexistent, but He will never be defeated or dethroned. Even the most powerful armies in the world are no match for Jehovah-Sabaoth: The LORD of Hosts. He is the all-powerful Sovereign commander of all the armies of heaven and earth.

The best-equipped army cannot save a king,
    nor is great strength enough to save a warrior.
Don’t count on your warhorse to give you victory—
    for all its strength, it cannot save you. – Psalm 33:16-17 NLT

Since the beginning of time, mankind has attempted to overthrow His Kingdom and supplant His authority over their lives. But their efforts have consistently failed, and His will has always been done. 

No human wisdom or understanding or plan
    can stand against the Lord.

The horse is prepared for the day of battle,
    but the victory belongs to the Lord. – Proverbs 21:30-31 NLT

These reminders of God’s glory and greatness are intended to produce hope and faith in the lives of His people. His unwavering power, providence, provision, and protection are meant to instill trust among “those who fear him” and “rely on his unfailing love” (Psalm 33:18 NLT).

We put our hope in the Lord.
    He is our help and our shield.
In him our hearts rejoice,
    for we trust in his holy name. – Psalm 33:20-21 NLT

Do you trust God? I mean really trust Him? If we’re honest, we have to admit that there are many things in our lives that we either refuse to trust God with or fear trusting to His care. But David reminds us that we can trust God with anything and everything. After all, He made everything in the universe, from the solar system to the earth itself. He created the land, the oceans, and all life, including you and me. He is greater than the most powerful nation on the planet. He can easily frustrate their best-laid plans and bring to nothing all their schemes for glory and power. And this powerful God loves righteousness and justice and is determined to see that it is carried out in the world He created.

However, the key to comprehending and appreciating the power and justice of God is to have a right relationship with Him. David knew that the Hebrew people had been chosen by God, not because of anything they had done or because they had earned His favor. No, God had chosen them and made them His own. He had blessed them with His presence and prospered them with His power, often despite their own stubbornness and stupidity.

So when David considers the greatness and the graciousness of God, he can’t help but say “Sing for joy to the LORD!” (Psalm 33:1 NLT). He tells us to praise and rejoice in God because HE has chosen us. We are to fear, honor, and respect Him and dutifully rely on His unfailing love. We are to put our hope in Him, understanding that He alone is who we can trust. Only God can save. Only God can rescue. Only God can deliver. So we put our trust in Him.

Hope is anticipatory and eagerly expectant because hope is based on truth – the reality that God is faithful, powerful, merciful, and fully capable of accomplishing His will on our behalf. Hope flows from a knowledge of His unfailing, unceasing, unquenchable love for us. He loves us. We belong to Him, and He will not abandon or forget about us. We can trust Him to do what is just and right on our behalf, even when we might not understand or like what is going on at the moment. We can praise Him preemptively because we KNOW He will come through for us eventually.

Father, I praise You now for what You are going to do, not just for what You’ve already done. Your grace and mercy to me is guaranteed by Your own character. Your love for me never fails. Your power on my behalf is never limited. So I can praise You now for what You have yet to do. Because You will always do what is right and just. Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Learning to Trust God

1 And Hannah prayed and said,

“My heart exults in the Lord;
    my horn is exalted in the Lord.
My mouth derides my enemies,
    because I rejoice in your salvation.

2 “There is none holy like the Lord:
    for there is none besides you;
    there is no rock like our God.
3 Talk no more so very proudly,
    let not arrogance come from your mouth;
for the Lord is a God of knowledge,
    and by him actions are weighed.
4 The bows of the mighty are broken,
    but the feeble bind on strength.
5 Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread,
    but those who were hungry have ceased to hunger.
The barren has borne seven,
    but she who has many children is forlorn.
6 The Lord kills and brings to life;
    he brings down to Sheol and raises up.
7 The Lord makes poor and makes rich;
    he brings low and he exalts.
8 He raises up the poor from the dust;
    he lifts the needy from the ash heap
to make them sit with princes
    and inherit a seat of honor.
For the pillars of the earth are the Lord's,
    and on them he has set the world.

9 “He will guard the feet of his faithful ones,
    but the wicked shall be cut off in darkness,
    for not by might shall a man prevail.
10 The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken to pieces;
    against them he will thunder in heaven.
The Lord will judge the ends of the earth;
    he will give strength to his king
    and exalt the horn of his anointed.”

11 Then Elkanah went home to Ramah. And the boy was ministering to the Lord in the presence of Eli the priest. – 1 Samuel 2:1-11 ESV

Hannah had suffered from and struggled with barrenness. There must have been times when she wondered where God was as she endured this embarrassing and debilitating condition. She had to have had moments of doubt as she questioned God's care for her. But ultimately, she took her concern to God, because she knew He was the only one who could do anything about it, and, in time, she learned that God was in control. He controls everything from the barren womb to the one who reigns in the throne room. He lifts up and He brings down. He humbles and He exalts. He gives life and He takes it away.

While this view of God may make us uncomfortable and raise all kinds of ethical and theological questions, it is the key to understanding the world in which we live. Some find this view distasteful and unsatisfactory. It paints God as some kind of an evil ogre who sits in heaven wreaking havoc on mankind, indiscriminately taking life and allowing injustice to take place. Their conclusion seems to be that if God is responsible for all those who rule, then He must be held responsible for all the tyrants, dictators, and corrupt despots who bring pain and suffering to so many.

The question is whether God causes evil, and the answer is no. All that God does is just and right. He is holy and righteous. He can do no wrong. He can commit no evil. But evil exists because sin entered into the world He had made. Man rebelled against God and the result has been a steady increase in sin, to the point where all looks lost and the world seems to be spinning out of control. But despite what we see, we must remember that God is still in control; He works behind the scenes to fulfill His divine plan in ways we cannot see or comprehend. What we see with our eyes may not make sense to us. It may seem unfair and unjust but we must always remember that our God is loving, just, merciful, gracious, and sovereignly working His plan – for our good and His own glory.

This chapter begins with a second and much longer prayer of Hannah. This time, she expresses joy rather than despair. Rather than begging God to show mercy and provide her with a son, she declares her gratitude for His miraculous answer to her previous prayer. She had made a request and God responded.

One would think this was a sad day in Hannah's life. After all, she had waited so many years and suffered so much ridicule, and now that she had been blessed with a son, she had to give the most precious thing in her life to God. Because of her vow, she was required to leave her small child in the hands of others and simply walk away. While there is little doubt that Hannah’s heart was full of sadness, what she expressed to God reveals no regret, remorse, or unhappiness. Instead, she states, “My heart exults in the Lord; my horn is exalted in the Lord” (1 Samuel 2:1 ESV).

Having just placed her young son in Eli’s care, she rejoiced. She expressed joy in the Lord, thanking Him for what He had done. Not only had He given her a son, but God had “exalted her horn.” That unique expression doesn't mean much to us in our modern cultural context but in an agrarian culture, the horn of an animal was a symbol of strength. An animal lifting up its horn was synonymous with power and virility. Hannah's strength had been renewed by God. She was confident and content with her lot in life because God had blessed her. She had once been childless, but now she could rejoice because God had shown her favor. She was more than willing to keep her vow to God because He had saved her from her humiliation and allowed her to experience the joy of giving birth to a son.

In all of this, Hannah's main takeaway was the uniqueness of her God. He was incomparable. Her God was not distant or disinterested in her problems. He cared for her greatly and took a personal interest in her life. He had taken her barrenness and turned it into a blessing. He had replaced her humiliation with hope. Yes, she had just given her son to God, but she did so because God had given her son to her. It was the least she could do.

Hannah viewed the Giver as greater than the gift, and she could do all this because she recognized the greatness of God. She knew Him to be holy, set apart, and without peer or comparison. Her God was her rock. The Hebrew word she uses is tsuwr and it refers to a rocky cliff where one can find shelter. For Hannah, God was a refuge and protector from her enemies. No more would she have to suffer ridicule and endure the shame of her barrenness. God had done the impossible for her. So, she shouts his praises.

“There is none holy like the Lord:
    for there is none besides you;
    there is no rock like our God.” – 1 Samuel 2:2 ESV

While she had just handed over her son to Eli,the priest, Hannah didn't wallow in regret and sadness; instead, she rejoiced. She praised God and was more than willing to give back to the one who had given to her. God hadn't just given her a son, He had given her hope, joy, strength, and a new capacity to face the future confidently because God was with her. He heard her and answered her when she called. As far as Hannah was concerned, her life and her son were both in good hands.

Hannah declares that “The Lord is a God of knowledge” (1 Samuel 2:3 ESV). What an interesting statement for Hannah to make, but it came from her own experience with Him. He had seen her distress, heard her cry for help, and had answered. Now Hannah expressed praise for all He had done, but also for who He was. Her God was all-knowing. Nothing escaped His notice. He saw all that was going on. He knew of Hannah's plight. He was fully aware of her barrenness. He also knew of her ill-treatment at the hands of her husband's second wife. The God to whom Hannah prayed was wise, caring, compassionate, and just. He cared for the humble and the hurting. He came alongside the hungry and the hopeless. How did Hannah know this? She had experienced it.

She was the recipient of God's grace, mercy, and love. She had been downcast and He had lifted her up. She had been barren, but God had given her a son. She had cried out and God had answered.

This prayer is not a promise that God will right every wrong in our lifetime. It is not a guarantee that God will eliminate every problem we face. It is certainly not telling us that every barren woman who cries out to God will bear a child. But it is a sobering reminder that our God is sovereign; He knows all. He is fully aware of all that is going on in our lives.

If we are facing injustice or ill-treatment, God knows. If we are suffering from hunger or facing unemployment, God knows. If our spouse treats us with contempt, God knows. If our child is living in open rebellion against us and God, He knows. And while God's answer may not come in the same way as it did for Hannah, He will answer us when we call out to Him. We can cry out and know He hears, sees, and cares for us. He has a plan in mind for us.

Hannah had no idea what role her son, Samuel, would play in the future affairs of the nation of Israel. She was clueless as to what was going to happen as a result of her dedication of Samuel to God. But she knew that God knew. God had told the people of Israel living in exile in Babylon, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11 ESV). Things looked bleak but God was in full control of their circumstances. In the same way, Hannah had learned to trust God for the less-than-ideal circumstances of her own life. She had discovered that He was a sovereign, just, all-powerful, merciful, and loving God. He can exalt the lowly, humble the prideful, bless the barren, knock the arrogant down to size, protect the weak, defeat the strong, and right wrongs.

The key to faith is believing these truths without necessarily having seen them or experienced them. It is to pray expectantly to God, hopefully waiting on His answer because we trust in His character. It is why Hannah cried out to God in the first place.

“O Lord of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your servant and remember me and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a son, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall touch his head.” – 1 Samuel 1:11 ESV

She was appealing to God based on what she believed about Him. He looks on the affliction of His servants. He remembers and does not forget. He knows. He sees. He answers. He is just, righteous, good, and gracious.

It is interesting to note that this prayer contains NO petition. Hannah doesn’t ask for anything; she simply praises God for who He is. It is a prayer of thanksgiving for what He has done. It is an acknowledgment of His sovereignty and a statement of His character. While Hannah was grateful for the son God had so graciously given her, she would be going home without him. He belonged to God now. And yet, her prayer is one of joy, gratitude, and worship. Because the real gift she had received was the knowledge that God loved her and cared about her.

Rather than make her son the object of her worship, she focused her attention on the one who had made his birth possible. Too often we worship the gift rather than the Giver. We end up focusing on what we hope to get from God rather than on God Himself. Our desire for blessings from God can overshadow our worship of God. When faced with a difficulty or trial, it is enough to know that God knows. We can share our requests. We can make known our desires. But our faith grows as we learn to trust Him for the outcome. He knows what is best. He will do what is right. We can trust Him.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.