Psalm 138 – Confitebor tibi (I will confess to You)
1 I will give thanks to you, O Lord, with my whole heart; before the gods I will sing your praise.
2 I will bow down toward your holy temple and praise your Name, because of your love and faithfulness.
3 For you have glorified your Name and your word above all things.
4 When I called, you answered me; you increased my strength within me.
5 All the kings of the earth will praise you, O Lord, when they have heard the words of your mouth.
6 They will sing of the ways of the Lord, that great is the glory of the Lord.
7 Though the Lord be high, he cares for the lowly; he perceives the haughty from afar.
8 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you keep me safe; you stretch forth your hand against the fury of my enemies; your right hand shall save me.
9 The Lord will make good his purpose for me; O Lord, your love endures forever; do not abandon the works of your hands.
This psalm is largely attributed to David, but many scholars discuss how in verse 2 he mentions a temple that had yet to be built. This enforces the idea that scripture should be read metaphorically, revealing God’s ongoing dialogue with His children rather than serving merely as historical information.
The Temple Within Us
As a Christian, reading it metaphorically means that my body is the temple. And I recognize that my neighbor see’s his/her body the same way. So does this mean I bow down to man, to flesh? Of course not. Jesus took on flesh, demonstrating that what is of earth and what is of heaven cannot be separated—they exist together beautifully and perfectly. I bow down to the truth that each of us is made by God and loved by Him and He resides in each one of us. I bow to the idea of putting others before myself, offering my life as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God (Romans 12:1). That is my spiritual act of worship. That is how I bow down toward His holy temple.
When I Called, You Answered
David writes, “When I called, you answered me; you increased my strength within me.” Yet, I can’t recall a moment when I asked God for something and immediately received a clear answer. More often than not, there is silence. Instead, I am reminded of God’s response to one of Paul’s prayers:
“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9)
Keeping in mind that this is a poem or song written by David rather than a historical account, I can better understand David’s belief that he heard an answer from God. Both David and Paul seemed convinced that God spoke to them. There have been moments in my own life when, in the midst of prayer, a thought so clear and perfectly timed has interrupted my prayer and shifted my perspective in a way I couldn’t have anticipated. In those moments, I can’t help but wonder if that thought was the voice of God.
David’s claim that God increased his strength isn’t the whole story. While God did strengthen him, David himself reveals the true source of that strength in 1 Samuel—when he steps forward to face Goliath. His confidence wasn’t just in himself; it was in the power of God working through him.
“You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty.” (1 Samuel 17:45)
When I cry out to God and seek His direction, things in my life begin to align in ways I never could have orchestrated myself. But at some point, faith requires stepping out in trust. Seeing God’s hand at work emboldens me to move forward.
The Kings of the Earth Will Praise Him
David proclaims his loyalty to God, praising Him before all other kings. He expects them to recognize the greatness of the Lord and follow suit. Public praise was an invitation for others to join in. In verses 5-6, the middle of the psalm, David ties the beginning and end together—he starts by declaring his devotion to God and concludes by celebrating God’s faithfulness to him.
God’s Mercy in the Face of Arrogance
“For the Lord is exalted, yet He looks after the lowly, but He knows the haughty from afar.”
When I have done something wrong and get away with it, I am faced with a choice. Guilt gnaws at me, but I can either confess and make amends, or ignore it until the guilt fades. If I am never caught, I may be tempted to continue down the same path. This is where arrogance takes root.
Haughty – arrogant, superior, disdainful
I believe that in His great mercy and love, God fully knows both what I have done and what I continue to do, yet He gives me time to confess and repent. He could bring swift judgment upon me, and maybe that would keep me from becoming haughty—but that is not the way of love. Love doesn’t force change through fear of punishment; Love offers space for me to take responsibility, to truly repent, and to make things right with those I’ve wronged.
God’s love extends even to the proud, the wicked, and the wrongdoers, giving them time to turn back to Him. He loves and believes in each of us. And while He patiently waits for our repentance, He is also working to redeem the harm we’ve caused to the innocent and the lowly. But really, who among us is truly innocent? None of us. It is only through God’s mercy that I stand forgiven, and that same mercy calls me to extend grace to others. I have been shown mercy for my failings—how, then, could I not do the same for others?
The Lord Will Accomplish What Concerns Me
“The Lord will accomplish what concerns me;
Your faithfulness, Lord, is everlasting;
Do not abandon the works of Your hands.”
The final line of this psalm is striking. David boldly declares his confidence in God’s faithfulness—then immediately pleads for God to remain faithful. At first glance, it seems contradictory, but it reminds me of how in Mark 9:24 a father asks Jesus to heal his son and in return Jesus asks him if he believes He can do this and the father replies:
“I do believe; help my unbelief!”
Faith is always a mixture of belief and doubt. David’s words don’t question God’s faithfulness—they reveal his own wrestling with faith. He knows God has brought him this far, yet he still pleads, “Don’t leave me now.”
I think of it like this: We rejoice in God’s mercy, knowing He has forgiven our sins, yet we struggle to trust that He will continue to forgive us. The work of salvation is entirely dependent on God’s faithfulness, not our efforts. No matter how far we may come, we still fall short of truly reflecting who Christ is. And yet, God’s mercy remains. Our failures don’t push Him away—and we know that, yet we fear that there is a point at which God will abandon us. David gives voice to that fear we all have in this last line of Psalm 138