David’s Psalms continue to stir our hearts to look into the wonder of our relationship with our Creator and the evidence, from a personal point of view, of that relationship. This is parallel, arising as we read and meditate on Matthew’s record, with the reality of our relationship with our Saviour.

David writes, “For the word of the LORD is upright, and all his work is done in faithfulness. He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the steadfast love of the LORD” (Psalm 33:4,5) which first makes us think of the kingdom, but then to meditate on the wonder of his creation around us and how bountiful it is when made use of in the right way – but how human beings, in some places, are harming God’s creation.

In the next verse David declares, “By the word of the LORD the heavens were made …” and we think of how blind humans have become to the wonder of this; they cannot see because they are looking to closely, too minutely – and not standing back as it were and taking in the wonder of the total picture. They think they are alone in their existence, although some are desperately searching the farthest recesses of space wondering if there might be some form of intelligence out there.

David’s next words are like a prayer, “Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him!” (verse 8). We believe that will soon happen – and cannot happen soon enough! “From where he sits enthroned he looks out on all the inhabitants of the earth … and observes all their deeds” (verses 14,15). Are we as conscious of this as we should be – in our service to Him?

If we are truly serving then verse 18 will inspire us, “Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love, that he may deliver their soul”. May our earnest prayer be the same as David’s in his closing verses, “Our soul waits for the LORD; he is our help and our shield. For our heart is glad in him, because we trust in his holy name. Let your steadfast love, O LORD, be upon us, even as we hope in you”.