PSALM 145:8-13

THURSDAY, AUGUST 2, 2007

HOW GREAT IS GOD?
 

8 The LORD is gracious and full of compassion,
Slow to anger and great in mercy.
9 The LORD is good to all,
And His tender mercies are over all His works.
10 All Your works shall praise You, O LORD,
And Your saints shall bless You.
11 They shall speak of the glory of Your kingdom,
And talk of Your power,
12 To make known to the sons of men His mighty acts,
And the glorious majesty of His kingdom.
13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
And Your dominion endures throughout all generations.
Psalm 145:8-13 (NKJV)

This is the Second Devotion of a series on Psalm 145.

It is so easy to forget how great God is. Think about these words from the Psalmist:

8 "The LORD is gracious and full of compassion, Slow to anger and great in mercy."  What would be your response if people gathered together to praise you and then fought among themselves over what color the carpet should be or what social, economical, or racial requirements need to be met for membership? How would you react if people came to praise you and then took your name in vain, lied, cheated, or were jealous of one another.  HOW GREAT IS GOD? He is gracious, merciful, and compassionate, and slow to anger.   BE CAREFUL:  Slow to anger does not mean that God does not care; it means that He is patient and will give you a chance until your last breath and then there are no more chances.

9 "The LORD is good to all, And His tender mercies are over all His works." I know of people who call themselves Christians who will go out of their way to avoid people they don’t like. I know of people who will not help someone in need and say that they made it though life without help and so can those who say they are in need. HOW GREAT IS GOD? He is good to all, even to all that he has created. God is good, mankind destroys.

In the last four verses the Psalmist gives us our clue as to how to respond to the GREATNESS, the GOODNESS of God. We are challenged:

--to Praise God’s name by telling the Works of God the Father who is the Creator of all, of God the Son, Jesus, and His Works of Salvation and Redemption, and God the Holy Spirit, who Calls, Gathers, and Enlightens us.

--to bless God by telling others of the Glory and Majesty of His Kingdom, of His Mighty Power as shown in His marvelous acts. The Psalmist says that this is what the saints shall do. He is not speaking about St. Peter or Paul, he is speaking about St. ___________. You mentally write your name in the blank. If you believe in God, if you daily truly repent and seek forgiveness and rejoice and give thanks for that forgiveness, you are a saint.

--to acknowledge that God’s Kingdom and His dominion never change.  HOW GREAT IS GOD? We know what the Psalmist says. Maybe each person who reads this should ask the question, HOW GREAT IS MY GOD? After you have meditated on that question, then ask yourself another:   Do my actions in response to the GREATNESS of God back up or deny the answer I have given.

HOW GREAT IS GOD?

HOW ENTHUSIASTIC IS YOUR RESPONSE?

WE PRAY: There is probably no better prayer for this devotion than the words of the hymn, HOW GREAT THOU ART by Stuart Hine. The words to this hymn are under copyright and I cannot print them. Because these words fit so well, I encourage you to try to remember them or locate a hymnal that includes the hymn or a CD, DVD or tape where the song is recorded.  --Ron

A SUGGESTION FOR LIVING THE DEVOTION

Select something GREAT about God.

Develop some thought about why it is great and if it is something only God can do.

Share theses thoughts with a friend either in person or via e-mail or a letter OR share them with the Sunday School Class that you attend.