“A Song of Praise. Of David. I will extol you, my God and King, and bless your name forever and ever. Every day I will bless you and praise your name forever and ever.” (Psalm 145:1-2 ESV)
Audiences love a good finale. When we go to the theater or watch a fireworks show, we eagerly anticipate those final minutes when all the action climaxes, and we are left in awe.
The book of Psalms has just such a finale. Psalm 145 is the opening salvo of the final six psalms of praise that conclude the Psalter, ending with Psalm 150. David’s opening words in this group of Psalms orient our hearts to true north. Although the book of Psalms is filled with a wide array of emotions as the authors experience the highs and lows of this life, the book concludes with a resounding chorus of praise to the Lord.
In these verses, David refers to three components of praise: what he will do, to whom he will do it, and when he will do it.
Beginning with what he will do, he says he will “extol,” “bless,” and “praise” the Lord. These words are interchangeable, if not perfectly synonymous, and describe the outward fruit of his inward heart of reverence and worship. David’s behavior is rightly oriented. He knows his position as a created being and responds appropriately with adoration and worship of his Creator.
Regarding the object of his worship, David uses two titles that speak volumes about how we understand our position before our Creator. First, he refers to “God,” recognizing his divine nature. He is the eternal and self-existent one. Second, David refers to him as “King.” This title speaks to God’s rule over all of creation. God’s kingship is the exercise of his divinity.
The kingship of God is especially important in the realm of missions because it identifies the authority by which the missionary preaches the gospel. God is not bound by national borders, as “the earth is the LORD’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein” (Psalm 24:1). God sits enthroned as king over all nations, tribes, and tongues. As ambassadors of God, Christians carry an authority to preach the gospel and proclaim the kingship of God to all nations, tribes, and tongues that supersedes any national laws or regulations that would say otherwise.
As for when David will praise God, his worship will be “forever and ever” and “every day.” Taken together, these phrases provide a robust understanding of worship —both its longevity (“forever and ever”) and frequency (“every day”). In other words, the whole of David’s life is worship. It is not relegated to a certain day of the week or a certain period of time, but it is his continual habit for as long as he draws breath.
These three components of praise could be summed up in this way: the Lord is God, who reigns as king over all creation, and David, as a created being, recognizes his duty to worship his Creator and will faithfully fulfill that duty as his daily pursuit.
As mentioned above, this verse has direct application to how we understand missions. Missions, after all, is all about worship. If David’s life was devoted to worship, and our lives are to reflect that same devotion, then missions must be central, not supplemental. Along with this, the universal kingship of God demands that all nations be subject to him. The building of God’s kingdom is the primary impetus that moves missions. If we did not believe that the whole earth is the Lord’s and that all worship belongs to him, missions would merely be an endeavor of our own creation. However, if we do believe those are true, failure to engage in missions would be outright disobedience.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father,
You are the Creator and King over all the earth, and everything belongs to you—from the largest star to the smallest blade of grass. May we be faithful to give you the worship due your name and may we be fervent in our pursuit of your kingdom, that all nations may submit to and glorify you. May we be bold in our proclamation of Christ’s rule and reign knowing that we carry your authority over all peoples.
In Jesus’ name, amen.
Prayer Requests:
- Pray that God would raise up more workers for the harvest through funding of the Global Gospel Fund.
- Pray for boldness to preach Christ in the face of opposition from earthly authorities.
- Pray for faithfulness and perseverance to press on to the end.
