Psalm 145 is the one psalm that, within the unique Hebrew, has the heading tehillah, which implies merely “a psalm” or, extra plainly, “a reward.” It’s also the final of David’s psalms—and in some methods, it appears to collect collectively all of David’s expertise of God to precise his thanksgiving and adoration:
I’ll extol you, my God and King,
and bless your identify ceaselessly and ever.
Day-after-day I’ll bless you
and reward your identify ceaselessly and ever. (Psalm 145:1–2)
True reward is at all times a celebration of who and what God is. The entire of the Bible reverberates with that fact. 5 occasions in Psalm 145, David makes use of a type of the verb to be to introduce an outline of God. As we think about every of those occurences, we’ll discover purpose—each day, ceaselessly and ever—to extol God together with him.
The Lord Is Nice
In verse 3, David begins, “Nice is the LORD, and vastly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable.”
Nice women and men make their mark on our world and have achieved so all through historical past—however their greatness has its limits. The human thoughts and spirit, David says, can not see to the top of God’s greatness. Not all the nice minds of all of the centuries might ever lay maintain on it. He’s higher than our best ideas, extra compassionate than the kindest saint, lovelier than essentially the most excellent magnificence. He’s incomparably superior.
True reward is at all times a celebration of who and what God is.
When this actuality grips our hearts, it would change us. Once we consider God’s greatness, then we dwindle—and many people, preoccupied with ourselves, are in want of dwindling. We’d like now to have our gaze lifted up and to say, “God, You might be higher than something I might obtain, something I might get pleasure from. Really, Your greatness is unfathomable.” Massive males have little gods, however a giant God doesn’t despise little males.
God’s greatness, David reminds us, is displayed in His “superior deeds” (v. 6). Marvelous works like creation, election, justification, sanctification, glorification, and the actual day-to-day mercies God exhibits us reveal His greatness and will stoke our reward.
The Lord Is Gracious and Good
In verses 8–9, David subsequent asserts, “The LORD is gracious and merciful, gradual to anger and abounding in steadfast love.” In different phrases, “The LORD is sweet to all.”
The language right here mirrors that in Exodus 34:6 , the place God proclaims Himself in His glory to Moses. His graciousness is important to who He’s, and “each good present and each excellent present” that we expertise in our life comes down from Him (James 1:17). How typically have we recognized ourselves to be struggling, weak, and silly—but right here we’re at present, nonetheless drawing breath, nonetheless urgent ahead! Why? As a result of “the LORD is gracious.”
Massive males have little gods, however a giant God doesn’t despise little males.
God is just not like earthly fathers. How susceptible they’re to anger! How susceptible are even one of the best of fathers to dismiss their kids! But God by no means says, “I’m too busy.” He by no means says, “Would you go away?” Once we want Him, He lifts us up, and He units us on.
God has grace for the responsible. He has compassion for the depressing. He has forbearance for the headstrong. He’s “good to all.” And He has given to all males the present of life and the present of affection. He’s given us the order of the universe, the heat of the solar, the freshness of the rain, and the availability of meals. Man in his vanity might deny Him (Rom. 1:21), however He shares His blessings on the simply and the unjust alike (Matt 5:45). For this we must always extol Him.
The Lord Is Devoted and Type
In verse 13, we see that “the LORD is devoted in all his phrases and type in all his works.” Buddies have and can allow us to down, however God is there each morning after we get up and each evening after we put our heads on the pillow.
God is devoted not solely in his presence but in addition to His guarantees. Once we are below strain bodily, emotionally, or spiritually, God’s arm can carry us up and set us on. A lot could appear to go mistaken for us after we’re our standing, our financial institution stability, or our profession progress. But after we look on the needs of God for eternity, we can have trigger to reward Him. “All issues”—even arduous issues!—“work collectively for good, for individuals who are referred to as in line with his objective” (Rom. 8:28). He has begun an excellent work in us who imagine, and He’ll carry it on to completion (Phil. 1:6), to the reward of His glory.
The Lord Is Righteous
In verse 17, we learn that “the LORD is righteous.” No matter God does, we might be certain of 1 factor: It’s proper. We might not prefer it, nevertheless it’s proper. That’s why we will sing,
In poor health that He blesses is our good,
And unblessed good is unwell,
And all is true that appears most mistaken
If it’s His candy will!
“This God,” David writes elsewhere, “his approach is ideal” (Ps. 18:30). His proper doing and His love are completely mixed. Isolate righteousness and love, and you may be left on the one hand with austerity and then again with sentimentality. In God, now we have each mixed completely—one who fulfills all righteousness at the same time as He provides Himself sacrificially on the cross.
The Lord Is Close to
Lastly, verse 18 tells us, “The LORD is close to.”
Do you imagine that? The Lord is so close to that He is aware of after we sit and after we stand (Ps. 139:2). He is aware of the phrases of our mouth earlier than we even converse them (Ps. 139:4). He is aware of the variety of the hairs on our head (Matt. 10:30; Luke 12:7). Our names, as believers, are graven on the palms of His arms (Isa. 49:16).
However David doesn’t simply say God is close to; he says, “The LORD is close to to all who name on him in reality.” Jesus stated, “I’m the way in which, and the reality, and the life. Nobody involves the Father besides by me” (John 14:6). The “depraved” (v. 20) are those that haven’t referred to as upon Him in reality. However to those that name on Him, “concern him” (v. 19), and “love him” (v. 20), He says, “Behold, I’m with you at all times, to the top of the age” (Matt. 28:20).
Reward Him!
It’s not shocking that the psalm ends with a name to “converse the reward of the LORD” and “bless his holy identify ceaselessly and ever” (v. 21). Certainly our nice Lord—who’s devoted and good, who’s gracious and type, who’s righteous, and who’s close to at hand—is worthy of our reward. As we meditate on who He’s, our hearts should exalt Him. And after we discover our hearts reluctant to reward Him, we’ll do properly to meditate on His “wondrous works.”
This text was tailored from the sermon “We Thank You, Lord” by Alistair Begg.
