Psalm 145:3-10
Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise;
his greatness no one can fathom.
One generation commends your works to another;
they tell of your mighty acts.
They speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty—
and I will meditate on your wonderful works.[a]
They tell of the power of your awesome works—
and I will proclaim your great deeds.
They celebrate your abundant goodness
and joyfully sing of your righteousness.
The Lord is gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger and rich in love.
The Lord is good to all;
he has compassion on all he has made.
All your works praise you, Lord;
your faithful people extol you.
Luke 2:20
The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
Devotion
David now makes his case as to why he will praise God all the days of his life, regardless of his circumstances. David goes on to list all the reasons for his commitment to praise God. Though this list is not exhaustive, David does a good job of praising God for His mighty acts, which display His Greatness and His Goodness. David uses words that clearly put God in a category by Himself. As we read the final eighteen verses of this psalm, God is described as a benevolent deity who is engaged with His creation in such a personal way that He leaves a clear footprint in human history. Here is a partial list of God’s attributes found in this song: Greatness, Splendor, Majesty, Power, Goodness, Righteousness, Graciousness, Compassion, Love, Glory, Sovereignty, Faithfulness, and Mercy. Pretty impressive list, wouldn’t you say? He also mentions God’s wonderful works six times in this passage. Clearly, David believes that God’s character and actions are reasons why God is worthy of his praise.
So often in our world, praise is used to manipulate others into doing something for us. We praise others with underlying motives. Many times, David praised the Lord even when his prayers went unanswered. David praised God for who He was not for what God could do for him. We can certainly learn from his example.
Questions to Ponder:
What are your motivations for praising God? Do you take time each day to think about God’s character? Do you take time each day to meditate on all that God has done in your life and in human history?
Prayer Points
- Reread Psalm 145 slowly. Every time David talks about the LORD (His nature, character, what He has done), stop and praise Him.
- Pray Psalm 146:1-2 for yourself, your family and our church family. “Praise the LORD. Praise the LORD, O my soul. I will praise the LORD all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.” – Psalm 146:1-2
- Ask God to help you to remember Him throughout the day, to grant you a willing spirit to worship Him in Spirit and in truth.
- Ask Him to help you to be intentional to be in His Presence. For example, write some verses or attributes of His character or name on the bottom of your coffee mugs (in permanent marker). When you use those mugs, you can praise Him.
Suggested Prayer
Oh Father, it’s Your glory to hide a matter and it’s our Glory to search You out. God I ask for myself and Your church, that we would be ones that search You out, gaze upon Your beauty and majesty that is talked about in Psalm 27:4. Help us to be a people that would lean on you and learn from You as the Shepherd of our souls. Help me and Your flock LORD by the power of Your Holy Spirit to praise You throughout the day. Help me to be willing to shut off the music when driving and praise You. Help me to be willing to shut off the TV and praise You. Help me when I’m waiting in line or hearing of bad news to praise You. My heart is willing but my flesh is weak. Therefore, I confess I have a wondering heart. Lead me back into Your Truth oh God. Lead me back to You and Your ways that I may declare Your goodness to the world around me! In the name of Jesus Christ I ask these things. Amen.