Psalm 145

Reading for September 23, 2012          Psalm 145

Psalm 145 is the last of the acrostic psalms in which the first verse begins with the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet, and each succeeding verse begins with the next letter in the alphabet. (Psalms 9, 10, 25, 34, 37, 111, 112, 119 and 145) The style is so much more than a literary technique, and this is especially so for Psalm 145. As you read the psalm and consider the exuberant praise from beginning to end, you can get a sense that by following the Hebrew alphabet, the psalmist is praising God through every conceivable sound his mouth can make. Psalm 145 is complete and total praise because, “Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; his greatness is unsearchable” (Psalm 145:3 NRSV).

A friend told me recently of meeting a person for the first time and learning that this person was acquainted with his sister. His sister and this person shared the grief of both having a child die. As the person visited with my friend, he told of how much help his sister had been to him. Throughout his sharing, the person interspersed scriptural references. The bonding of these two people through their shared grief amplifies the encouragement of the psalmist to “Let each generation tell its children of your mighty acts; let them proclaim your power. Everyone will share the story of your wonderful goodness; they will sing with joy about your righteousness. All of your works will thank you, Lord, and your faithful followers will praise you. They will speak of the glory of your kingdom; they will give examples of your power. They will tell about your mighty deeds and about the majesty and glory of your reign” (Psalm 145:4, 7, 10-12).

I don’t know if any of the scripture passages shared between the grieving friends included Psalm 145, but I can well imagine that their experience of God’s comfort could have included these verses,

“The Lord is merciful and compassionate,

    slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.

The Lord is good to everyone.

    He showers compassion on all his creation.

The Lord always keeps his promises;

    he is gracious in all he does.

The Lord helps the fallen

    and lifts those bent beneath their loads.

The Lord is close to all who call on him,

    yes, to all who call on him in truth.

He grants the desires of those who fear him;

    he hears their cries for help and rescues them”

`                                                           Psalm 145:8, 9, 13, 14, 18, 19

What portions of Psalm 145 affirm your experience of God? Have you shared them with anyone recently?

Sē’lah

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What word or phrase in today’s reading of the Psalms

 attracts your attention?

Reflect on that word or phrase.

What insights come to you?

How does this passage touch your life today?

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

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Reading for September 24, 2012          Psalm 146