Dear Rose Park,
One of my greatest privileges as a pastor is walking alongside individuals and families as they approach the end of life. It can be tremendously painful and yet tremendously beautiful and poignant when gathered around the hospital bed or living room sofa offering prayers, singing songs, and saying goodbye to a loved one. Given the benefit of hindsight, it’s natural to look back upon your life and give thanks and praise to God for His faithfulness, but perhaps if our eyes are open to the work of the Holy Spirit we don’t have to wait until the end of life to give thanks and praise.
Psalm 145 is the only psalm that is given the title ‘A Psalm of Praise,’ it’s also the last psalm in the psalter that is attributed to David. Because of this, pastor and theologian James Boice writes, “Psalm 145 is indeed a monumental praise psalm, a fit summary of all David had learned about God during a long lifetime of following hard after the Almighty.” David is looking back on his life and giving thanks and praise to God for all He has done; David praises God for His greatness, mighty acts, glorious splendor of His majesty, wonderful and awesome works, abundant goodness, the dominion of an everlasting kingdom, and faithfulness to His promises. David is using the full breadth of his vocabulary and imagination to give thanks and praise to God.
Giving thanks and praise to God can be difficult while in the minutia of life; it is far easier to give thanks and praise when we are able to look back with clear eyes, but what if we didn’t wait? What if we decided to give thanks and praise with our full voice, body, mind, heart, and soul while we were in the throes of life right now? What if we didn’t wait until Sunday morning, but instead gave praise to God for His goodness and faithfulness while dropping the kids off at school, attending the meeting, preparing dinner, or getting stuck in traffic? Psalm 145 is a beautiful psalm of praise, but praise doesn’t have to wait until we are able to, like David, look back on a lifetime of following after the Almighty.
So, if you’re willing and able, I’d encourage you to take a moment right now to give thanks and praise to God. Praise Him for His faithfulness. Give thanks to Him for His forgiveness. Sing a song for His mighty acts. Say a prayer for His graciousness and compassion. Don’t wait until you have the benefit of hindsight, instead join David and, “let every creature praise His holy name forever and ever.”
Grace & Peace,
Pastor Mark