Wednesday April 10
“Bless His Holy Name Forever and Ever”
Psalm 145:8-13 A Psalm of Praise. Of David.
14 The LORD upholds all who fall, And raises up all who are bowed down.
15 The eyes of all look expectantly to You, And You give them their food in due season.
16 You open Your hand And satisfy the desire of every living thing.
17 The LORD is righteous in all His ways, Gracious in all His works.
18 The LORD is near to all who call upon Him, To all who call upon Him in truth.
19 He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He also will hear their cry and save them.
20 The LORD preserves all who love Him, But all the wicked He will destroy.
21 My mouth shall speak the praise of the LORD, And all flesh shall bless His holy name Forever and ever.
We started out our chats in the Book of Psalms on September 14, 2022. That was actually 520 chats ago. I’ve enjoyed this study as much as any I have ever done in the Bible. I have learned so much about the story and history behind each of the psalms. From the titles of the psalms, we know that David wrote at least one-half of the 150 psalms and possibly many more. Psalm 145 is the last psalm in the book attributed to David. It is a psalm of pure praise and worship. It has been called “David’s crown jewel of praise”. How fitting for his last psalm in the book. Over the next week or so we will finish our study with the last five “Hallelujah” Psalms, 146 -150.
In Psalm 145, David not only reminds us why we should praise the LORD, but when and how we should praise Him. David begins by saying that we should praise God from day to day (vv. 1-2). In verses 3-7, David tells us that we should pass on our praise to the LORD to the next generation (v. 4). And in verses 8-13, David is reminding us of our great responsibility to share the message of the “glorious majesty of His Kingdom” to all the nations.
Now in verses 14-16, David praises the LORD because He is a God Who is willing and able to meet every need that we might have. Our great God is not an "absentee landlord" who collects rent but never repairs the roof. He knows our every need and He is there to help those who call on Him. When we fall, He is there to “uphold” us. When we are “bowed down” with back-breaking burdens, with broken hearts and difficulties that have thrown us into hopeless despair, He is there to “raise us up” (v. 14).
Our God is also ready to supply food for those who hunger. And most certainly for those who want to be saved from their sins, He will hear their heart’s cry and will save them (Acts 2:21). We toil for our daily bread, but all God has to do is “open His hand” when He hears our cries and meet whatever needs we have (v. 16). When He supplies one need, we must praise Him, and we must praise Him when He supplies the next need! "Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you" (1 Peter 5:7). Our heavenly Father notices the birds of the air and feeds them, and He says we are of more value than them and that He will care for us too (Matthew 6:26).
Finally, in verses 17-21, David reminds us that “the LORD is near to all who call upon Him in truth” and therefore we should praise Him from prayer to prayer. The emphasis in these verses is on calling on the Lord and that this invitation is for “all”. For everyone and anyone who will humble themselves and fear the LORD and seek Him. James reminds us in James 4:2, “that we have not because you do not ask". God is righteous, so we want to come with clean hands and a pure heart (Psalm 66:18), but God is also loving, so we should love Him and obey Him.
Prayer is not just a creature coming to the Creator, or a servant coming to the Master; it is a child coming to the heavenly Father, knowing that He will meet the need (Luke 11:1-13). He hears us, watches over us, and supplies our every need (Phil. 4:19). When He answers prayer, we must praise Him, and when He answers another prayer, we must praise Him. David concludes this psalm with "My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord”. And with the reminder that “all flesh will bless His holy name Forever and ever”.
Yes, my friend, one day, “At the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:10-11). Why not do it now with a humble willing heart of praise!
God bless!
Yorumlar