MAKING GOD KNOWN
Read Psalm 145
Every knee will bow before me; every tongue will acknowledge God.
Romans 14:11
The experiences of others influence us. A friend’s book recommendation prompts us to download the Kindle edition as soon as we get home. A coworker’s story of a great restaurant meal causes us to grab a table at that café the next weekend. Harvard Business School professor Michael Luca quantified this effect, demonstrating from his research that a single positive online review can boost a business’s revenue by 5 to 9 percent.
Just as we might make a restaurant reservation or choose a vacation spot on the testimony of those who have been there, we are also encouraged to worship God by those who give Him public praise. In this psalm, David moves quickly from expressing personal worship to joining the praises of all His people. Our God is not the God of just one individual but is the God of all creation, rightly receiving the adoration of every creature.
No one can fathom the greatness of God (v. 3), but the worshipers in Psalm 145 tell one another about each mighty act they have witnessed in order to lead others to praise. Generation after generation, they magnify the name of God in the hearing of every living thing. Like Hannah before them (see 1 Sam. 2:1–10) and Mary after them (Luke 1:46–55), they marvel at this God who faithfully cares for the weak and needy.
In their crescendo of praise, it is as if God’s people are constructing a giant arena or a huge stage where God’s glorious works are displayed for a vast audience to admire. And we join them when we add our praises to theirs, publicly telling others about the greatness of our God until that final day when “every knee will bow” and “every tongue will acknowledge God”(Rom. 14:11).
APPLY THE WORD
Though we might feel self-conscious telling others about our experiences of God, this psalm reminds us that our praises can benefit people around us. Our public prayers and praise attest to God’s greatness and invite others to come and see what He can do. What has God done for you? Who could you encourage with your testimony of praise?
