GOD LOVES TO FORGIVE THE PENITENT HEART!

THOSE WHO KNOW GOD PRAISE HIM!

Psalm 145:1-3

I will extol you, my God and King,

and bless your name forever and ever.

Every day I will bless you

and praise your name forever and ever.

Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised,

and his greatness is unsearchable.

In the heart of a child of God, praise is the logical consequence of appreciating God’s greatness. Just the fact that one can call the King and God of the universe “my” should produce praise! Our growing understanding about the character and person of God should produce a continuous outpouring of praise from our souls. The more we know about God, the more surprised we should be that He wants to have a relationship with us, and the more humbled we should be that God wants to take care of us. The more we learn about God and His attributes, the more willing we should be to submit to Him and live for Him.

This life of praise and submission should be visible to others.

Psalm 145:4-7

One generation shall commend your works to another,

and shall declare your mighty acts.

On the glorious splendor of your majesty,

and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.

They shall speak of the might of your awesome deeds,

and I will declare your greatness.

They shall pour forth the fame of your abundant goodness

and shall sing aloud of your righteousness.

As David reflects on the greatness of God, his logical assumption is that those who know Him will be declaring to others the wonderful works of the Lord. Speaking of God’s goodness should be the natural result of being showered with God’s grace and mercy.

Psalm 145:8-9

The LORD is gracious and merciful,

slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.

The LORD is good to all,

and his mercy is over all that he has made.

David cannot help but exalt the grace of God. Those who know God have experienced His saving grace. Although they live in the midst of people who are oblivious to God’s common grace to all men, they recognize the work that God is doing continually for the benefit of all He has created.

Reading these words emphasizes to me how very much I depend on the grace of God. My relationship with Him was rooted in His grace. Every day I go to God for forgiveness of my sins and, on the basis of His Word, I can trust that they will be graciously forgiven. I find peace in the fact that, because of His love that endures forever, I can approach Him with all my failures. My lack of praise and my complaining should cause the Lord to send me away, but because of His mercy and grace I am able to come to Him, knowing that He loves to forgive the penitent heart.

Psalm 145:10-13

All your works shall give thanks to you, O LORD,

and all your saints shall bless you!

They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom

and tell of your power,

to make known to the children of man your mighty deeds,

and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.

Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,

and your dominion endures throughout all generations.

[The LORD is faithful in all his words

and kind in all his works.]

One day every knee will bow and every single human will recognize the LORD’s mighty works. Today, we who know Him are to be proclaiming the faithfulness of God to all generations. God is reigning today, He is fulfilling His purposes, and His reign will never end!

If we can assert anything about God that is true, it is only because He has revealed it in His Word and we can rest assured that He will be faithful to all of His promises. And all that God does is kind; we are blessed!

God knows that we fail and are prone to sin. Thus David’s words are so encouraging for us:

Psalm 145:14-20

The LORD upholds all who are falling

and raises up all who are bowed down.

The eyes of all look to you,

and you give them their food in due season.

You open your hand;

you satisfy the desire of every living thing.

The LORD is righteous in all his ways

and kind in all his works.

The LORD is near to all who call on him,

to all who call on him in truth.

He fulfills the desire of those who fear him;

he also hears their cry and saves them.

The LORD preserves all who love him,

but all the wicked he will destroy.

God is looking for us to humble ourselves before Him and to recognize Him in all our ways. God wants to produce in us a habitual, whole-hearted dependence on Him; He wants us to recognize the perfection of His ways. He wants from us our complete trust and love.

Can we react like David did to all these truths?

Psalm 145:21

My mouth will speak the praise of the LORD,

and let all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever.

I know what I need to do… I know how I should act… I know what I need to repent of… I know what my mouth should utter… By God’s grace and with His help, I will set out to do it today! May these be our marching orders!