November 3, 2022

I will exalt you, my God the King;
    I will praise your name for ever and ever.
Every day I will praise you
    and extol your name for ever and ever.

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.
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.
They tell of the glory of your kingdom
    and speak of your might,
so that all people may know of your mighty acts
    and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
    and your dominion endures through all generations.

The Lord is trustworthy in all he promises
    and faithful in all he does.
The Lord upholds all who fall
    and lifts up all who are bowed down.
The eyes of all look to you,
    and you give them their food at the proper time.

You open your hand
    and satisfy the desires of every living thing.

The Lord is righteous in all his ways
    and faithful in all he does.
The Lord is near to all who call on him,
    to all who call on him in truth.
He fulfills the desires of those who fear him;
    he hears their cry and saves them.
The Lord watches over all who love him,
    but all the wicked he will destroy.

My mouth will speak in praise of the Lord.
    Let every creature praise his holy name
    for ever and ever.

Psalm 145

Devotional

A highpoint of praise, this psalm is entitled, “A Praise of David.” It is the only Psalm in the Psalter with this title. 

Apparently, for David, this time it’s personal.

The psalm begins as an individual hymn of thanksgiving for the sovereignty of God. But it ends with corporate worship: all—all who call on him, all who fear him, all who love him—praise God, for all that He is, and all that he does.

The great Liberation theologian James Cone, in his magnum opus, God of the Oppressed, writes, “There is no liberation without transformation.” Although David had his struggles, through his acts of praise he was transformed by telling others of God’s mighty work and meditating on the goodness of God.

This is the kind of meditation that brings transformation. And this is the kind of transformation that brings liberation.

There is an old African American Gospel hymn that goes, “Woke up this morning with my mind, stayed on Jesus, / Woke up this morning with my mind, stayed on Jesus, / Woke up this morning with my mind, stayed on Jesus, / Hallelu, hallelu, hallelujah.” It is a song of praise. And it is a song of transformation. Sung at the beginning of the day, it transforms one’s mind into a mind gloriously, victoriously stayed on Jesus.

The translation of the Psalm from the Holman Christian Standard Bible offers a different rhythmic feel to this great paean of praise:

Informing all people of Your mighty acts
and of the glorious splendor of Your kingdom.
Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom;
Your rule is for all generations.
The Lord is faithful in all His words
and gracious in all His actions.

The Lord helps all who fall;
He raises up all who are oppressed.

As we inform everyone of God’s mighty acts, our praise lifts us from depression, from doubt, from despair.

We are transformed.

For Reflection

How might we creatively inform others of God’s mighty acts?

Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father, there is so much trouble in the world: wars, rumors of wars; so much oppression, so many oppressed. We are depressed, doubtful, despairing. But as we inform all people of Your mighty acts, and of the glorious splendor of Your kingdom, we are transformed. We Praise you forever! Hallelu, hallelu, hallelujah!