Psalms 145

This is the last psalm in the book attributed to David, and it is also an acrostic. The Hebrew letter nun (our letter n) is missing at verse 14, although some early versions based on the Septuagint have a verse starting with nun. (See NIV marginal note.) This is the only psalm called “A psalm of praise.” David mentioned several attributes of God, among them His greatness (v. 3), His grace, goodness, and compassion (vv. 8–9), His glory and might (v. 11), His righteousness and kindness (v. 17), and His providential care (v. 20). Who could not praise a God with these wonderful characteristics? But along with telling us why we should praise the Lord, David tells us when we should praise Him.

In heaven, we shall praise the Lord forever and forever, but now is the time to get prepared as we praise Him from day to day. No matter how dark and difficult the day may be, there is always something for which we can praise the Lord—even if it is only that the situation is not always this bad! Our universe operates a day at a time as the heavenly bodies move in orbit around the sun, and we are foolish to try to live two days at a time. “As your days, so shall your strength be” (Deut. 33: nkjv), and some of that strength comes from praising and thanking the Lord.

One of the important obligations of the older generation is to pass on to the younger generation the truth about the Lord. Whether we admit it or not, every local church is one generation short of extinction, and we must obey 2 Timothy 2:2. (See 48:13; 71:18; 78:6; 79:13; 102:18; Ex. 3:15; 12:14, 17, 42; Judg. 2:10.) God is so great that the human mind cannot fathom Him (Isa. 40:28; Job 5:9; 9:10; 11:7; Rom. 11:33; Eph. 3:8), but the human heart can love Him and tell others how great He is. God’s character and God’s awesome works furnish us with more material than we could ever exhaust, and we will have all of eternity to keep learning more! But David was not writing only about theology; he was also writing about personal witness, what the Lord has done in our own lives. “Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord” (34: nkjv). The older generation must reach back into their lives and “utter the memory” of God’s great goodness (v. 7). The word translated “utter” means “to pour forth like a bubbling spring” (19:2; 59:7; 94:4; 119:17).

David knew his basic theology (v. 8; Ex. 34:6; Num. 14:18; Neh. 9:17), but he also knew that this wonderful truth must be shared with others. Jonah knew it but would not share it (Jonah 4). “All” is one of the key words of this psalm. God is good to all (v. 9), and His throne lasts for all generations (v. 13). He upholds all who fall (v. 14), and the eyes of all creatures look to God for their food (v. 15). He satisfies every living thing (v. 16) and helps all who call on Him (v. 18). One day all flesh will praise Him (v. 21). “Salvation is of the Jews” (John 4:22), but the message of salvation was not supposed to remain with the Jews. It was not sufficient for the people of Israel to praise God and teach their children to praise Him. They were obligated to share the truth about the Lord with their Gentile neighbors and let their light shine (Isa. 42:6). The psalm begins “I will extol thee” but ends “All flesh will bless his name” (v. 21). The church today has a similar obligation and privilege. All of God’s works in creation praise Him around the world, but for some reason, His own people do not follow this example. God has compassion on all—God loves a lost world (John 3:16)—and we keep it to ourselves! The glory and wonder of God’s spiritual kingdom must be proclaimed from nation to nation as well as from house to house. (Note that v. 13 is quoted in Dan. 4:3.)

Our great God is not an “absentee landlord” who collects rent but never repairs the roof. He knows our every need and He is there to help those who call on Him—those who fall, those carrying back-breaking burdens, those who hunger, and certainly those who want to be saved from their sins (Acts 2:21). We toil for our daily bread, but all God has to do is open His hand when He hears our cries and meet whatever needs we have. When He supplies one need, we must praise Him, and we must praise Him when He supplies the next need! “Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you” (1 Peter 5: nkjv). (See 104:27–28; Matt. 6:26.)

The emphasis here is on calling on the Lord. “Yet you do not have because you do not ask” (James 4: nkjv). God is righteous, so we want to come with clean hands and a pure heart (66:18), but God is also loving, so we should love Him and obey Him. Prayer is not just a creature coming to the Creator, or a servant coming to the Master; it is a child coming to the heavenly Father, knowing that He will meet the need (Luke 11:1–13). He hears us, watches over us, and supplies our every need (Phil. 4:19). When He answers prayer, we must praise Him, and when He answers another prayer, we must praise Him. “My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord,” wrote David, and we must follow his example. The sad thing about the wicked, whom God will destroy, is that they have nobody to thank when a blessing comes their way! We need to tell them about our wonderful Lord who died for them and desires to save them.