Sunday 3 February, 2019

A psalm of praise. Of David. 1 I will exalt you, my God the King; I will praise your name for ever and ever. 2 Every day I will praise you and extol your name for ever and ever. 3 Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom. 4 One generation commends your works to another; they tell of your mighty acts. 5 They speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty— and I will meditate on your wonderful works. 6 They tell of the power of your awesome works— and I will proclaim your great deeds. 7 They celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness. 8 The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. 9 The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made. 10 All your works praise you, Lord; your faithful people extol you. 11 They tell of the glory of your kingdom and speak of your might, 12 so that all people may know of your mighty acts and the glorious splendor of your kingdom. 13 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. 14 The Lord upholds all who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down. 15 The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food at the proper time. 16 You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing. 17 The Lord is righteous in all his ways and faithful in all he does. 18 The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. 19 He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them. 20 The Lord watches over all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy. 21 My mouth will speak in praise of the Lord. Let every creature praise his holy name for ever and ever.

I love how this Psalm, and many others that are amazing psalms of worship, such declarations of God’s incredible nature, His worthiness of praise, His goodness, mercy, compassion, faithfulness, justice, righteousness, holiness, eternity and love.

But beyond that, the psalmist does more than just declare who God is, he shares his own experience of responsibility, his response to the majesty of God. He commits to ongoing worship, rather than just declaring something in a positive moment; “I will praise Your Name for ever and ever;” “I will meditate on your wonderful works.”

For me, this presents a beautifully simple and effective model for how I am to change my heart –

1)      Enter His gates with thanksgiving (psalm 100)

2)      Declare His majesty

3)      Verbally, or in journaling, commit to God to ongoing and continual worship, particularly in the areas where I struggle to be gracious and thankful

4)      Repeat as often as possible!

Written by Ps. Justin Ware