5th. July. 2022.Daily Devotions.
A Day of Praise
1 I will exalt you, my God the King; I will praise your name for ever and ever. 2 Every day I will praise you and extol your name for ever and ever. Psalm 145:1-2
In the hymn “Love Divine, All Loves Excelling,” Charles Wesley describes our life in God’s coming kingdom: “Changed from glory into glory . . . till we cast our crowns before thee, lost in wonder, love, and praise.”
Living in the presence of God, we will be so filled with wonder, love, and praise for the Lord that, in a way, we won’t be able to think of anything else.
The celebration in Psalm 145 is similar. The psalmist is filled with praise and wonder at the beauty of God and all God’s works. The writer sings about it in grand language. He says he will praise God “for ever and ever . . . every day.” He says that no one can fathom God’s greatness. God’s majesty is described with “glorious splendour,” and God’s goodness is described as “abundant.” God is “gracious and compassionate,” and all his works “tell of the glory” of his everlasting kingdom. With such an amazing God, no wonder the psalmist is filled with praise.
Because we have such a great and beautiful future promised to us, we can resonate with some other phrases in Wesley’s hymn as we look forward to God’s kingdom in hope: “Finish, then, thy new creation; pure and spotless let us be. Let us see thy great salvation perfectly restored in thee.” R. Jordan Heys.
Come quickly, Lord Jesus. Fill us with wonder, love, and praise as we reflect on your beauty. We praise you for being such a great and loving God. Amen.
Glorify the Lord, all you works of the Lord,
praise him and highly exalt him for ever.
Glorify the Lord, O nights and days,
O shining light and enfolding dark.
Storm clouds and thunderbolts, glorify the Lord,
praise him and highly exalt him for ever.
Glorify the Lord, O mountains and hills,
and all that grows upon the earth,
praise him and highly exalt him for ever.
Glorify the Lord, O springs of water, seas, and streams,
O whales and all that move in the waters,
All birds of the air, glorify the Lord,
praise him and highly exalt him for ever.
Glorify the Lord, O beasts of the wild,
and all you flocks and herds,
O men and women everywhere, glorify the Lord
praise him and highly exalt him for ever. Book of Common Prayer, 1979, Episcopal Church, USA
God of all glory, when the roar of the traffic recedes and even our hymns are stilled in our mouths, then we hear strains of an anthem sung since you called all things into being; how birds burst their breasts with gratitude at being alive; how waves on the shore lap a lullaby at your manger and spring lambs bleat delight at the empty tomb; how the wind in the tall pines whispers psalms to the Spirit. As we begin to sing again, help us not to crave the melody but to find our place in the harmony of all creation. Amen.
