599_My God, my King (Psalm 145)
Psalm 145 I will extol you, my God and King,
and bless your name forever and ever.
2 Every day I will bless you
and praise your name forever and ever.
3 Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised,
and his greatness is unsearchable.
4 One generation shall commend your works to another,
and shall declare your mighty acts.
5 On the glorious splendor of your majesty,
and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.
6 They shall speak of the might of your awesome deeds,
and I will declare your greatness.
7 They shall pour forth the fame of your abundant goodness
and shall sing aloud of your righteousness.
8 The Lord is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
9 The Lord is good to all,
and his mercy is over all that he has made.
10 All your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord,
and all your saints shall bless you!
11 They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom
and tell of your power,
12 to make known to the children of man your mighty deeds,
and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
and your dominion endures throughout all generations.
and kind in all his works.] 14 The Lord upholds all who are falling
and raises up all who are bowed down.
15 The eyes of all look to you,
and you give them their food in due season.
16 You open your hand;
you satisfy the desire of every living thing.
17 The Lord is righteous in all his ways
and kind in all his works.
18 The Lord is near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him in truth.
19 He fulfills the desire of those who fear him;
he also hears their cry and saves them.
20 The Lord preserves all who love him,
but all the wicked he will destroy.
21 My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord,
and let all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever.
There is a famous story told about Queen Victoria. On one occasion, while visiting a school, she was asked by a young girl what it felt like to be a queen. The question momentarily caught her off guard. After a pause, she replied gently, “I cannot tell you what it is like to be a queen, but I can tell you what it is like to belong to a King.” She then spoke of her faith in Christ and how His lordship shaped her life. Whether or not every detail of the story is historically precise, the point it makes is profound: even the greatest earthly monarch understood that her authority was secondary, derived, and temporary. There is a higher throne, a truer crown, and a greater King.
That same spirit breathes through Psalm 145. David, the greatest king Israel ever knew, lifts his eyes above his own throne and says, “My God, my King.” This psalm is not the praise of a subject who has never tasted authority; it is the worship of a man who knows power, responsibility, victory, and failure. Again and again in the books of Kings and Chronicles, rulers are measured against David. Scripture repeatedly says of later kings that their hearts were “not like David their father.” David became the standard, not because he was flawless, but because he understood something essential: he himself was ruled. He reigned only because he first bowed. He governed God’s people as one who was under God’s authority. Psalm 145 reveals the clarity of David’s vision of who God is as King and what it means to live under His rule.
David begins by praising God for His greatness. “Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable.” This is not exaggerated poetry or abstract theology. David speaks as a man who has walked through valleys, stood on battlefields, hidden in caves, and sat on a throne. He had encountered God in danger, deliverance, discipline, and mercy. Through it all, he learned that God’s greatness cannot be measured or compared. No earthly king, however powerful, can stand alongside Him.
A revealing test of whether we truly believe someone is great is not found merely in what we say or sing, but in whom we fear. Fear, in Scripture, is closely tied to reverence and obedience. Many of us confess with our lips that God is great, yet in daily life we fear people more than Him. We adjust our choices to please human approval, avoid human criticism, or secure human advantage, even when it compromises faithfulness to God. In practical terms, this reveals whom we consider greater. For David, the fear of the Lord shaped his decisions. It restrained him from killing Saul, even when it seemed politically wise. It drove him to repentance when he sinned. His reverence for God’s greatness governed his actions.
From greatness, David moves naturally to remembrance. In verses 4 to 7, he speaks of generations telling one another of God’s mighty acts. Israel’s history was filled with undeniable evidence of God’s power and goodness—deliverance from Egypt, provision in the wilderness, victory over enemies, patience in rebellion. David says he will meditate on these wondrous deeds. Praise, in Scripture, is never shallow enthusiasm; it is rooted in memory. Forgetfulness weakens worship. When God’s past works fade from our consciousness, our faith shrinks. David deliberately rehearses God’s deeds because they anchor his confidence in the present.
Yet David does not portray God as merely powerful and distant. Alongside greatness, he celebrates goodness. “The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. The Lord is good to all, and his mercy is over all that he has made.” This is one of the most comforting truths in the psalm. The King, who is unmatched in power, is also abundant in compassion. His greatness does not make Him harsh; His authority does not make Him cold. His mercy extends over all creation. Because of this, all His works give thanks to Him, and His people bless His name.
David then lifts our eyes to the nature of God’s rule. “Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures throughout all generations.” Earthly kingdoms rise and fall. Dynasties crumble. Thrones are passed on or taken away. David himself knew that his kingdom would not be permanent. Yet he rejoices in a reign that has no expiration. This truth echoes powerfully in the New Testament when the angel Gabriel speaks to Mary, announcing the birth of Jesus. He declares that Jesus will receive the throne of David and reign forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end. Psalm 145 ultimately points beyond David to the greater Son of David, the eternal King whose reign fulfills this promise.
Though God’s kingdom is eternal and universal, David emphasizes that His care is deeply personal. “The Lord upholds all who are falling and raises up all who are bowed down.” This is not the behavior of a distant ruler. God draws near to the weak, the weary, the discouraged. He does not despise those who stumble. There is a special tenderness in the way He supports those who cannot stand on their own. Many people fear that their weakness disqualifies them from God’s attention, but David assures us that weakness is often the very place where God’s sustaining grace is most clearly experienced.
David also celebrates God as Provider. “The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food in due season. You open your hand; you satisfy the desire of every living thing.” To rule is to care, and God faithfully carries the responsibility of sustaining all He has made. Jesus echoes this truth when He teaches His disciples to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread.” This request reaches far beyond physical sustenance. It is a daily dependence on God for life, strength, wisdom, and spiritual nourishment. Only the true King can meet the deepest needs of body, soul, and spirit.
Another defining mark of this King is His nearness. “The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.” This promise resounds throughout Scripture. God is not inaccessible or reluctant. He draws near to those who seek Him sincerely, without duplicity or hidden agendas. To call on Him in truth is to seek Him wholeheartedly, desiring relationship rather than merely benefits. Such seeking leads to salvation, as Paul reminds us: “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
David continues, “He fulfills the desire of those who fear him; he also hears their cry and saves them.” Those who fear the Lord are shaped by His glory. Their deepest desire is not personal advancement but God’s honor. Their prayers align with His will. Such lives are marked by trust, surrender, and delight in God Himself.
Yet David does not shy away from warning. “The Lord preserves all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy.” God’s kingship includes justice. His mercy does not cancel His righteousness. Love for God leads to life; persistent rebellion leads to judgment.
David closes by inviting all flesh to bless the holy name of this great King forever. He knows that a true vision of God inevitably leads to worship. Isaiah experienced this when he saw the Lord high and lifted up. Confronted with God’s majesty, Isaiah first recognized his own sin and then willingly offered himself for God’s service.
The problem for many of us is not that God is small, but that our view of Him is. We doubt His ability, question His provision, and live as though His reign were uncertain. Like Israel in the wilderness, we ask, “Can He provide?” even after witnessing His works. A right view of God reorients everything—our priorities, our fears, our obedience.
To confess “My God, my King” is not merely to affirm a doctrine; it is to submit a life. It means trusting His greatness when circumstances overwhelm us, relying on His goodness when we fail, seeking His nearness in prayer, and living daily under His gracious rule. When God is truly our King, our lives become acts of worship, and our obedience becomes a joyful response to His reign.
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