At work in the world is a force of wholeness. It can be unseen and misunderstood, overlooked and discounted. At the heart of the created order resides the heart of the Creator who remains unimpressed by displays of power, unmoved by haste.
Over time human culture has created a split between winners and losers. We laud the skills of strength and speed and associate the qualities of weakness and patience with those who are bound to lose.
The psalmist assures us that God views these qualities differently. Caring for the weak and those who have taken a beating in life is not contrary to being powerful. God’s greatness is in the company of God’s compassion, and both are strengthened by this tension. God manifests power in caring for the needy, those deemed insignificant or uncountable. God knows, names, and tends all of these. Power and compassion create a stronghold as a result of living in tension. The strength of the mighty is built upon the faithfulness of those who have known heartbreak and still stand, still seek, still hope—and still know fear.
The psalmist calls for praise born of hope and reverence. The ability to see what is right in front of us is a survival skill. When given so many pathways to distraction and patterns of becoming numb to heartbreak and tragedy, a life of praise for God is a life lived between what is and what can be. When we bring our imagination and our brokenheartedness to God, we are welcomed to a partnership of wholeness-making. We stand in the company of all those created and cared for by this praiseworthy God.