Psalm 138: The slow, uncertain, stubborn project which is Tim

I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart; before the “gods” I will sing your praise. I will bow down toward your holy temple and will praise your name for your unfailing love and your faithfulness, for you have so exalted your solemn decree that it surpasses your fame. When I called, you answered me; you greatly emboldened me.

May all the kings of the earth praise you, Lord, when they hear what you have decreed. May they sing of the ways of the Lord, for the glory of the Lord is great.

Though the Lord is exalted, he looks kindly on the lowly; though lofty, he sees them from afar. 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 Lord will vindicate me; your love, Lord, endures forever—do not abandon the works of your hands. - Psalm 138

"Though the Lord is exalted, he looks kindly on the lowly; though lofty, he sees them from afar." For me, I imagine what it must be like to be God, keeping track of so many people at the same time. If you are trying to decide who to track, you'd probably track the movers and shakers of the world--the influencers-because you really have to watch what they are doing, since what they do matters most to so many people. Those who were going the direction you want would get help--buffs or angel help and the like--and those who were not going in the direction you want would not get help--tripping over their shoelaces, missed phone calls, extra sick days. 

But that is not the experience of this writer who finds that God seems to notice the "lowly" in trouble. What does God get out of it by helping those who are struggling? Doesn't it seem strange that he uses his strength to push history forward by backing those who are stumbling and falling? Certainly not conserving his resources by going about whatever his plan is in such an inefficient method. Face it, most of us wouldn't pass any sort of job performance review. He spends a lot on losers. So much so that the writer of this Psalm asks God, "do not abandon the works of your hands." He appreciates how God has worked to support someone who was righteous but failing "The Lord will vindicate me..." he writes.

God has spent a lot on me--on the slow, uncertain, stubborn project which is Tim. And he does this over and over, not just with Tim, but again with so many people.  God wants to be surrounded by those who are grateful, not those who think they deserve. Those who think they deserve are the delusional ones, while the "lowly" have gotten a pretty good look at what they deserve and are glad that God doesn't give them that.