O God, my heart is fixed; I will sing and give praise, even with my glory.
Psalm 108:1 begins with words David had already sung: “My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise” (Psalm 57:7). Psalm 108:1-5 repeats Psalm 57:7-11, but sets that confession at the head of a new psalm. In Psalm 57 David’s soul was among lions, among men whose teeth were spears and arrows and whose tongue was a sharp sword (Psalm 57:4), yet his heart remained fixed upon God. Psalm 108 begins with that settled heart and turns it at once into praise. Trouble, enemies, and circumstances may change, but a heart fixed upon God has found its proper center.
“O God.” David addresses God directly. His fixed heart is not confidence in himself, his courage, his temperament, or favourable circumstances. It is Godward. A man may appear firm while resting upon pride, but David’s stability is worshipful dependence. He is not announcing his resolve to impress other men; he speaks before God. “My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him” (Psalm 62:5). A fixed heart is fixed because its object is fixed.
“My heart.” David names the inward man, the seat of thoughts, affections, purposes, and desires. His praise begins there before it reaches his mouth. Paul commands the saints to sing with grace in their hearts to the Lord (Colossians 3:16). God does not seek sound detached from the soul. This makes the statement searching. A man may sing loudly while his heart wanders, complains, envies, or resists God. Worship is right when the inward man agrees with the outward words.
“Is fixed.” To be fixed is to be settled, established, and prepared, not tossed about. David is not saying that no danger exists; Psalm 57 proves the opposite. Yet in the midst of danger he said, “My heart is fixed.” His stability did not come from calm surroundings but from confidence in God. Fear may arise, enemies may speak, and providence may remain unclear, but the heart need not move with every circumstance. “He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the LORD” (Psalm 112:7). Trust fixes what circumstances try to shake.
A fixed heart is also a deliberate resolve. David is not describing a pleasant feeling that happened to come over him. He has set his heart toward God. Samuel charged Israel to prepare their hearts unto the LORD and serve Him only (I Samuel 7:3). A fixed heart is not accidental religion. It has chosen its object and refuses rival confidences, for “A double minded man is unstable in all his ways” (James 1:8).
“I will sing.” The fixed heart produces a speaking mouth. David does not say, My heart is fixed, therefore I will keep silent. Truth believed in the heart seeks expression. Remember Psalm 57: wicked men had tongues like sharp swords, but David would not let their speech decide the use of his own tongue. Their mouths wounded; his mouth praised. Singing is also an act of the will. David does not wait for every feeling to become favourable. “I will sing unto the LORD as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have my being” (Psalm 104:33).
“And give praise.” Singing must carry praise. The melody is not the chief thing; the words and their Godward content are. David intends to declare God’s excellence, works, mercy, truth, and strength. Song becomes worship when it gives praise to God rather than attention to the singer. “Sing praises to God, sing praises: sing praises unto our King, sing praises” (Psalm 47:6). The next verse calls on psaltery and harp (v.2), which belonged to Israel’s worship under the law. The saints now make their melody in the heart (Ephesians 5:19), and the voice carries doctrine, thanksgiving, and confession.
“Even with my glory.” Scripture itself interprets this phrase. David wrote, “Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope” (Psalm 16:9). Peter quotes that verse as, “Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope” (Acts 2:26). The Holy Ghost Himself shows that “my glory” is the tongue. The parallel in Psalm 57 agrees: “Awake up, my glory; awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake early” (Psalm 57:8). David’s glory is the member he awakens to praise God.
The tongue is one of man’s great dignities, because it can confess truth, pray, teach, bless, and sing unto the Creator. Yet the same tongue can complain, boast, flatter, and slander. “Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God” (James 3:9). David consecrates it to praise. His heart is fixed, and his tongue answers accordingly. “And my tongue shall speak of thy righteousness and of thy praise all the day long” (Psalm 35:28).
Jesus Christ shows a fixed heart and a tongue given to praise without any failure. On the night He was betrayed, with the cross before Him, He sang with His disciples: “And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives” (Matthew 26:30). Hebrews puts the praise of God in His mouth: “Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee” (Hebrews 2:12). His tongue never sinned: “Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth” (I Peter 2:22). David’s tongue was his glory when rightly used; Christ’s was so perfectly.
Fix your heart upon God, then give your mouth to His praise. Do not let circumstances move the heart from Him, or let wicked speech teach your tongue how to speak. “I will praise thee, O LORD, with my whole heart; I will shew forth all thy marvellous works” (Psalm 9:1). Let your glory awake to sing and give praise.
O God, my heart is fixed; I will sing and give praise, even with my glory.
Psalm 108:1 begins with words David had already sung: “My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise” (Psalm 57:7). Psalm 108:1-5 repeats Psalm 57:7-11, but sets that confession at the head of a new psalm. In Psalm 57 David’s soul was among lions, among men whose teeth were spears and arrows and whose tongue was a sharp sword (Psalm 57:4), yet his heart remained fixed upon God. Psalm 108 begins with that settled heart and turns it at once into praise. Trouble, enemies, and circumstances may change, but a heart fixed upon God has found its proper center.
“O God.” David addresses God directly. His fixed heart is not confidence in himself, his courage, his temperament, or favourable circumstances. It is Godward. A man may appear firm while resting upon pride, but David’s stability is worshipful dependence. He is not announcing his resolve to impress other men; he speaks before God. “My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him” (Psalm 62:5). A fixed heart is fixed because its object is fixed.
“My heart.” David names the inward man, the seat of thoughts, affections, purposes, and desires. His praise begins there before it reaches his mouth. Paul commands the saints to sing with grace in their hearts to the Lord (Colossians 3:16). God does not seek sound detached from the soul. This makes the statement searching. A man may sing loudly while his heart wanders, complains, envies, or resists God. Worship is right when the inward man agrees with the outward words.
“Is fixed.” To be fixed is to be settled, established, and prepared, not tossed about. David is not saying that no danger exists; Psalm 57 proves the opposite. Yet in the midst of danger he said, “My heart is fixed.” His stability did not come from calm surroundings but from confidence in God. Fear may arise, enemies may speak, and providence may remain unclear, but the heart need not move with every circumstance. “He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the LORD” (Psalm 112:7). Trust fixes what circumstances try to shake.
A fixed heart is also a deliberate resolve. David is not describing a pleasant feeling that happened to come over him. He has set his heart toward God. Samuel charged Israel to prepare their hearts unto the LORD and serve Him only (I Samuel 7:3). A fixed heart is not accidental religion. It has chosen its object and refuses rival confidences, for “A double minded man is unstable in all his ways” (James 1:8).
“I will sing.” The fixed heart produces a speaking mouth. David does not say, My heart is fixed, therefore I will keep silent. Truth believed in the heart seeks expression. Remember Psalm 57: wicked men had tongues like sharp swords, but David would not let their speech decide the use of his own tongue. Their mouths wounded; his mouth praised. Singing is also an act of the will. David does not wait for every feeling to become favourable. “I will sing unto the LORD as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have my being” (Psalm 104:33).
“And give praise.” Singing must carry praise. The melody is not the chief thing; the words and their Godward content are. David intends to declare God’s excellence, works, mercy, truth, and strength. Song becomes worship when it gives praise to God rather than attention to the singer. “Sing praises to God, sing praises: sing praises unto our King, sing praises” (Psalm 47:6). The next verse calls on psaltery and harp (v.2), which belonged to Israel’s worship under the law. The saints now make their melody in the heart (Ephesians 5:19), and the voice carries doctrine, thanksgiving, and confession.
“Even with my glory.” Scripture itself interprets this phrase. David wrote, “Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope” (Psalm 16:9). Peter quotes that verse as, “Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope” (Acts 2:26). The Holy Ghost Himself shows that “my glory” is the tongue. The parallel in Psalm 57 agrees: “Awake up, my glory; awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake early” (Psalm 57:8). David’s glory is the member he awakens to praise God.
The tongue is one of man’s great dignities, because it can confess truth, pray, teach, bless, and sing unto the Creator. Yet the same tongue can complain, boast, flatter, and slander. “Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God” (James 3:9). David consecrates it to praise. His heart is fixed, and his tongue answers accordingly. “And my tongue shall speak of thy righteousness and of thy praise all the day long” (Psalm 35:28).
Jesus Christ shows a fixed heart and a tongue given to praise without any failure. On the night He was betrayed, with the cross before Him, He sang with His disciples: “And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives” (Matthew 26:30). Hebrews puts the praise of God in His mouth: “Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee” (Hebrews 2:12). His tongue never sinned: “Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth” (I Peter 2:22). David’s tongue was his glory when rightly used; Christ’s was so perfectly.
Fix your heart upon God, then give your mouth to His praise. Do not let circumstances move the heart from Him, or let wicked speech teach your tongue how to speak. “I will praise thee, O LORD, with my whole heart; I will shew forth all thy marvellous works” (Psalm 9:1). Let your glory awake to sing and give praise.