HOW ADORATION OF GOD TRANSFORMS GRATITUDE

 

By: Donna Bucher

Of the many praise psalms in the Bible, Psalm 145 presents an extraordinary example of thankfulness expressed in adoration. You cannot read this psalm without seeing David’s gratitude for and awe of God. Interestingly, the Webster’s 1828 dictionary defines “praise” as “The expression of gratitude for personal favors conferred; a glorifying or extolling.” Psalm 145 does a magnificent job of illustrating the intermingling of expressing gratitude to God for His works and His infinite attributes. I marked the times David praised God for His attributes or implied attributes with orange. I marked the times David praised God for His deeds in red.

 

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.

The Lord is faithful in all his words
    and kind in all his works.
¹⁴ The Lord upholds all who are falling (Deliverer)
    and raises up all who are bowed down. (Deliverer)
¹⁵ The eyes of all look to you,
    and you give them their food in due season.
¹⁶ You open your hand; (generosity)
    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. (Deliverer)
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.

 

Studying this psalm, I found 38 instances where David offers gratitude to God for His attributes; contrasted with 9 times he expresses gratitude for God’s deeds.

When we praise God not only for what He’s done for us, but for Who He Is, we glorify Him and show our enjoyment in Him. 

God blesses us with good things because of His intrinsic goodness. He delights in our gratitude for His good things, but He created us for relationship with Him. Delighting in Him increases our intimacy with Him and fulfills our purpose to proclaim His majesty, glory and grace to others.

Offering God thankfulness expressed in adoration transforms any situation. Even when discouraged or irritable, expressing gratitude to God for who He is, takes my focus off of me, my problems and even my needs.

Thanking God in this way floods my heart with joy and hope while ushering me into the intimate presence of God. There is no God like our God; dwelling on the magnificence of His infinite attributes puts everything into perspective.

 

What struck you most in reading Psalm 145 in this way?

How can you incorporate David’s method of praising God into your gratitude practice?

 

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