**A Song of Unfailing Love: The Story Behind Psalm 138**
The golden light of dawn stretched across the hills of Jerusalem, casting long shadows over the city’s cobbled streets. Inside the palace, King David sat by an open window, his fingers tracing the edge of a scroll. The morning air was cool, carrying the distant sound of Levites tuning their instruments in the temple courts. But David’s heart was heavy.
For days, he had been reflecting on the countless battles fought, the betrayals endured, and the mercies he had received from the hand of the Lord. Memories of his youth as a shepherd, his anointing by Samuel, his flight from Saul, and his eventual rise to the throne—all of it swirled in his mind like the winds that once swept over Bethlehem’s fields. But above all, one truth anchored his soul: the faithfulness of God.
With a deep breath, he dipped his quill into ink and began to write:
*”I will praise You, O Lord, with all my heart; before the gods I will sing Your praise.”*
The words flowed from him like a river. He thought of the nations around Israel—those who bowed to idols of wood and stone, kings who exalted themselves as divine. Yet David knew there was no god like Yahweh, the One who had delivered him from the paw of the lion, the grip of the giant, and the schemes of his enemies.
*”I will bow down toward Your holy temple and will praise Your name for Your unfailing love and Your faithfulness, for You have exalted above all things Your name and Your word.”*
David’s mind drifted to the day he had brought the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem. The streets had erupted in jubilation, the sound of harps and tambourines filling the air. He had danced before the Lord with abandon, his heart overflowing with gratitude. Even when Michal, Saul’s daughter, had scorned him for his humility, he had not wavered. The Lord’s name was worthy of all honor, His promises unshakable.
*”When I called, You answered me; You greatly emboldened me.”*
He remembered the dark nights in the caves of Adullam, when his band of weary outcasts had been his only companions. Yet in those moments of despair, the Lord had strengthened him. When he had cried out, God had not turned away. Even now, as king, he faced threats from neighboring kingdoms, but he knew the Lord would sustain him.
*”May all the kings of the earth praise You, O Lord, when they hear the words of Your mouth.”*
David lifted his eyes toward the horizon, where the first rays of sunlight now bathed the temple mount in gold. He envisioned a day when rulers from distant lands would come to Jerusalem, not as conquerors, but as worshippers. They would recognize the greatness of Yahweh, the God of Israel, whose love reached to the heavens and whose faithfulness knew no end.
*”Though the Lord is exalted, He looks kindly on the lowly; though lofty, He sees them from afar.”*
A humble smile touched David’s lips. He, the shepherd boy turned king, had been lifted up not by his own strength, but by the hand of the Almighty. And though he now sat on a throne, he knew the Lord’s gaze was ever upon the broken, the forgotten, the weak.
*”Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You preserve my life. You stretch out Your hand against the anger of my foes; with Your right hand You save me.”*
The battles were far from over. Enemies still lurked, and trials would come. But David’s heart was steadfast. The Lord, his shield and deliverer, would complete what He had begun.
*”The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me. Your love, O Lord, endures forever—do not abandon the works of Your hands.”*
As the ink dried on the parchment, David rose and walked to the balcony overlooking the city. The temple stood as a beacon, a reminder of God’s presence among His people. The psalm he had just written was more than words—it was a testament, a declaration of trust in the One who had never failed him.
And so, with a heart full of praise, King David lifted his voice and sang, joining the chorus of heaven itself in honoring the unfailing love of the Lord.
