Hi all
Do we have a sense of awe, do we ascribe (give to God) the honour due to his name? At times we struggle to do this, the Psalmist reminds us in Psalm 145 of the importance of doing this, and time and time again I am reminded that as we do this, in our worship God can interact with us, the more we open ourselves to him the more he is enabled to be at work in our lives. Take time to worship him this week you may be surprised what happens!
Psalm 145 – Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise
I will extol you, my God and king; I will bless your name forever. Every day I will bless you; I will praise
Your name forever. Great is the LORD and worthy of high praise; God’s grandeur is beyond understanding.
Worthy is the LORD of our praise, yet we lose sight of him and his grace in the midst of busy hectic days
He calls upon us to seek him, to come into his courts with thanksgiving, of him be not uncomprehending
For it is as we turn to him and look upon his face, that the things that surround can fade and us not faze
Come before the LORD with singing, come into his presence and as you do, you’ll see his love is unending
Come bless the LORD all you servants of the LORD, he is worthy of your praise, not just on Sundays
Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise, for his love, power and his grandeur is beyond understanding
One generation praises your deeds to the next and proclaims your mighty works. They speak of the splendour
Of your majestic glory, tell of your wonderful deeds. They speak of your fearsome power and attest to your great deeds.
The testimony of your people is to give honour to you, to exhort others to seek you, and to you praise render
For it is as we speak of your acts and focus upon what you have done in our lives, in others of you we plant seeds
For you take as we are, in unpolished, flawed states, you shape us, you are our father, your love for us tender
Great are you LORD, yet you sent your son that we might have life in its abundance, we attest to your great deeds
They publish the renown of your abounding goodness and joyfully sing of your justice. The LORD is gracious
And merciful, slow to anger and abounding in love. The LORD is good to all, compassionate to every creature.
You see the brokenness of your people; you see their needs, your grace so wide it is overwhelming, capacious
Do we stop to recognise just how wide, how deep, how great your love is for us; in our lives does it feature?
Nothing can separate us from his love, yet we take it for granted, we fall, we err, yet still to us he is gracious
His steadfast love never ceases, his mercy without end, sing of him, he is compassionate to every creature
All your works give you thanks; O LORD and your faithful bless you. They speak of the glory of your reign
And tell of your great works, Making known to all your power, the glorious splendour of your rule.
Do we live before our LORD with thankful hearts, or like the Israelites grumble and groan and God disown?
Do we act as if we are blessed, saved, redeemed for a purpose, or are we towards God cool?
We have times when we feel as though in a desert, lost, blinded, unaware of his leading and concern
Yet he carries us, leads us toward his oasis, all creation reflects the glorious splendour of your rule
Your reign is a reign for all ages, your dominion for all generations. The LORD is trustworthy in every word,
And faithful in every work. The LORD supports all who are falling and raises up all who are bowed down.
Our steps are ordered by him, he delights in his way, he upholds those who fall, have you not seen or heard
There is no searching of his understanding, he never tires or wearies, unlike us who are battered, windblown
If we are prepared to acknowledge our frailties, come before him, repentant, open, admitting we have erred
He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, supportive of us, and able to raise up all who are bowed down
The eyes of all look hopefully to you; you give them their food in due season. You open wide your hand and satisfy the desire
Of every living thing. You, LORD, are just in all your ways, faithful in all your works. You, LORD, are near to all who call upon you
Who seek your face, who are prepared to come to you in openness and seek the working of your Spirit, of you seek and enquire
As we draw near to you, you will draw near to us and will justly and faithfully bring change in our lives as we keep you in view
You call upon your people to hunger and thirst for that which you have to give, to seek wisdom as for gold, to your will desire
Come to me my people, you call for I freely give to you that which is life giving, You, LORD, are near to all who call upon you
To all who call upon you in truth. You satisfy the desire of those who fear you; you hear their cry and save them. You, LORD, Watch over all who love you, but all the wicked you destroy. My mouth will speak your praises, LORD; all flesh will bless your holy name forever.
You are jealous for your people and desire that they walk in your ways, you the good shepherd protect & guide with your word
You will not allow your people to slip, to lose their footing; you uphold them with your righteous right hand and leave them never
You are the one, the only one who can meet all their needs, if they humble themselves before you, they by you will be heard
You alone are worthy of their praise, Great are you most worthy of their praise, all flesh will bless your holy name forever
Worthy, O worthy are you Lord, I will bless your name forever. Every day I will bless you for you are holy, gracious, my LORD
Mark Maffey, August 2007
New American Bible