Worthy Of Praise
Psalms 145:3-7 (NIVUK) —
‘Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom. One generation commends your works to another; they tell of your mighty acts. They speak of the glorious splendour of your majesty — and I will meditate on your wonderful works. They tell of the power of your awesome works — and I will proclaim your great deeds. They celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness.’
I love how in this Psalm David highlights how important it is to praise God for both who he is and what he does. I’ve found that, in different seasons, it can be easier to praise God for the one rather than the other. When things are going well, it is easy to find examples to fuel our praise of what God does. This is particularly so when you see a clear answer to prayer that only God could do - perhaps a broken relationship is healed, or you’re given a surprising opportunity to step into what you believe God has called you to. There are also times when we face difficulty and may not see the breakthrough that we ask God for. In these times, I’ve found that it’s easier to praise God for who he is - taking comfort in his compassion for us in our suffering and his love for us.
While, in response to our circumstances, it’s natural to emphasise one of these forms of praise over the other, David reminds us in this Psalm that it’s essential to include both in our rhythms of worship, regardless of the situations that we face. I think this is because each reminds us of a different aspect of God. Praising God’s character reminds us that he is ‘worthy of our praise’ purely because of who he is, rather than what he can do for us. Remembering and celebrating his works, on the other hand, renews our expectation for God to move in power in our lives and in global situations far bigger than us. As with David, worshipping God like this will form us into people who find hope and security in these truths, whatever our circumstances.
Prayer - Jesus, may we, like David, be people who overflow with praise - both for who you are in your ‘abundant goodness’ and for the ‘wonderful works’ that you do.