Filled with Wonder AND PRAISE

Read

PSALM 145

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.

Think

In the hymn “Love Divine, All Loves Excelling,” Charles Wesley describes our life in God’s coming kingdom: “Changed from glory into glory . . . we [will] cast our crowns before thee, lost in wonder, love, and praise.”

Living in the presence of God, we will be so filled with wonder, love, and praise for the Lord that, in a way, we won’t be able to think of anything else.

The celebration in Psalm 145 is similar. The psalmist is filled with praise and wonder at the beauty of God and all God’s works. The writer sings about it in grand language. He says he will praise God “for ever and ever . . . every day.” He says that no one can fathom God’s greatness. God’s ­majesty is described with “glorious splendor,” and God’s goodness is described as “abundant.” God is “gracious and compassionate,” and all his works “tell of the glory” of his everlasting kingdom. With such an amazing God, no wonder the psalmist is filled with praise.

Because we have such a great and beautiful future promised to us, we can resonate with some other phrases in Wesley’s hymn as we look forward to God’s kingdom in hope: “Finish, then, thy new creation; pure and spotless let us be. Let us see thy great salvation perfectly restored in thee.”

Pray

Come quickly, Lord Jesus. Fill us with wonder, love, and praise as we reflect on your beauty. We praise you for being such a great and loving God. Amen.