Psalm 145:8, 9 - Gods Character; Fuel for Praise.
Psalm 145:8, 9 (NIV) The LORD is gracious
and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in
love. 9 The LORD is good to all; he has compassion
on all he has made.
WORD STUDY
Compassion/Mercy means that God does not
give us what we deserve, and Grace means that He
gives us what we do not deserve. What a loving God
He is! ... When the night is dark and long,
keep on trusting, and the dawn, will come in
Gods good time. [Chapter by Chapter Bible
Commentary by Warren Wiersbe re Psa. 6]
And his tender mercies are over all his
works - In all that he has made there is evidence
that he is a kind and benevolent God. He has a
heart to love, to bless, what he has made;
everywhere arrangements are made for happiness; he is
not disposed to cast off the feeble, the erring,
and the suffering; he is willing to receive back
again those who have wandered from him, to pardon
the offending, to wipe away the tears of the
sorrowful. (Barnes' Notes)
The Lord is good to all his creatures. That
is, he is kind and compassionate toward them; he
is disposed and ready to do them good. There is
not one of them whom he is not ready and willing
to bless; not one whose happiness would not be
agreeable to him, or whose welfare he is not ready to
promote. Compare Ps. 100:5. (Barnes' Notes)
INTRODUCTION and OVERVIEW
In Psalm 145-150, praise is the dominant
theme and more so than in any other section of the
Psalter. [Believers SB]
Psalm 145 serves as an introduction to this
final collection of praises (Ps 145"150).
[Wycliffe Bible Commentary]
Psalm 145 is an acrostic psalm: Each line
begins with a different letter of the Hebrew
alphabet. We might name it, Praising God from A
through Z, as each letter brings to mind a
different reason to praise the LORD. [The 365-Day
Devotional Commentary]
Psalm 145: A Psalm of Praise: The only psalm
with this title in the entire collection, Psalm
145 praises God for His mighty acts (145:1-7),
His gracious character (vv. 8-9), and the glory
of His coming kingdom (vv. 10-16). Our loving
Lord shows His care for His own, who praise Him
in return (vv. 17-21). [Victor Bible Readers
Companion]
In Psalm 145 David extols the Lord for His
greatness (v. 3), grace (vv. 8, 17), goodness (v. 9),
glory (vv. 11-12), and generosity (vv. 15-16). If
you are having a hard time praising the Lord
today, that should help get you started! When
you live a life of praise, you have the Lord's
help in every situation. If you stumble, He helps
you up (v. 14). If you are hungry, He feeds you
(vv. 15-16). If you call, He draws near (v. 18).
No wonder David blessed the Lord so much! And
remember the Lord inhabits the praises of His people
(Psa.22:3). [Chapter by Chapter Bible Commentary by
Warren Wiersbe re Psalm 145 mod]
Great is the Lord, and greatly to be
praised. Verse 3 is the theme of his praise. Although
this greatness is unsearchable, the psalmist does
an admirable job of illustrating it. His hope
is constantly that others will bear witness to
Gods greatness. In the verses that follow he
emphasizes Gods greatness in terms of his mighty
works, his glory and splendor, his great goodness,
his gracious compassion, his tender mercies, his
glorious and everlasting kingdom, his providential
care, his righteousness, his holiness, and his
availability for those who call upon him in truth and
with fear. This understanding of Gods nature
is a high-water mark in the Psalter. [Wycliffe
Bible Commentary]
Everything we do is an expression of our
character. Unless we're being hypocritical, our actions
are generally a reflection of who we are and the
thoughts we have. The same is true of God; his works
reflect who he is. Psalm 145 describes God's
character and praises him for his works. He is
compassionate, gracious, good, merciful, righteous and
kind. As a result, he saves, upholds, satisfies
and fulfills. The picture this psalm gives us is
of a God who not only is hypothetically good
but is intimately involved in the details of our
lives in very practical ways. He is active in the
ways he relates to us. [NIV Once A Day Bible re
Psa. 145:8-13a]
COMMENTARY
What do you think when someone says,
"Praise the Lord"? Does it strike you as strange,
appropriate, logical, or weird? Does it make you
uncomfortable? Or does it make you feel at ease?
David, the author of Psalm 145, didn't
feel shy about expressing his love for God. In 2
Samuel 6:14, he danced for joy before the Lord, and
here he says boldly, "Praise the Lord!" As you
read, see what you can learn about praise.
Other psalms in this section give advice
for people in need (Psalm 146); tell how to
please God (Psalm 147); and list many reasons and
ways to praise and worship God (Psalm 148-150).
Sometimes life goes on with such an even
rhythm that we may wonder why we should praise God.
In Psalm 145, David gives us many good reasons:
God is great (v. 3). God does mighty, wonderful
deeds (vv. 4-6). God is righteous (v. 7). God is
gracious, compassionate, patient, and loving (vv.
8-9). God rules over an everlasting kingdom (v.
13). God lifts us up when we are down (v. 14).
God meets all our daily needs (vv. 15-16). God
is righteous and loving in all he does (v. 17).
God stays near to those who call on him (v. 18).
God hears our cries and saves us (vv. 19-20).
If you are looking for a reason to praise
God, start here. He is ready to listen. [The One
Year Through the Bible Devotional by Dave Veerman
re Psalm 145]
This marvelous psalm is full to the brim
with attributes of God and revelations of his
character: he is compassionate ("to all his creation").
He is gracious and generous, loving and
all-powerful, righteous, watchful, protective, near to us,
great and good, and ever faithful. The passage
also reveals some of God's titles: Judge, King,
and Lord.
Think of the Savior: Jesus is the Bread
of Life, the Light of the World, our Counselor,
our Good Shepherd. Prayerfully studying and
meditating on the character traits and names of God is
one of the most faith-building, encouraging
things you can do for your spiritual life. It will
dispel your anxiety and boost your faith. It will
enable you to trust God more. Knowing the true
character of God will renew and transform your mind
with the truth, dissolve doubt, and breathe life
into your soul. Saying aloud the attributes of
the Lord and thinking about how you've
experienced different aspects of his character can be a
powerful act of worship. Take a few moments to pray
this psalm aloud. Ask God to reveal himself to
you in greater clarity than you've ever
experienced before.
LORD, how blessed I am to know you! You
are all mercy and justice, full of
loving-kindness and compassion. You are good to all,
majestic and rich in grace. And you always do what
you promise! Reveal more of yourself to me. I
want to tell others about the glory of your
kingdom and examples of your power. Help me to tell
of your mighty deeds and praise you forever.
[Praying Through The Bible By Fuller]
There is a fountain of goodness in God's
nature (v. 8): The Lord is gracious to those that
serve him; he is full of compassion to those that
need him, slow to anger to those that have
offended him, and of great mercy to all that seek him
and sue to him. he is ready to give, and ready
to forgive, more ready than we are to ask, than
we are to repent the works of his mercy
out-shine all his other works, and declare him more
than any of them. (Matthew Henry's Commentary)
CONCLUDING THOUGHT
The Lord, according to this verse, is full
of undeserved favor and tenderness towards us;
He is patient and continuously withholds
judgment and punishment even though we might deserve
it. Can we respond any other way but in humble
thankfulness to Him? How many of us go along our merry
way, oblivious to His great care, His blessing,
His provision? Today is a good day to begin
accessing how much we have to be thankful for and to
express it to our wonderful Lord! [In His Time;
Walk With Wisdom]
PRACTICAL APPLICATION
I am gracious and compassionate, slow to
anger and rich in Love. Explore the wonders of
grace: unmerited favor lavished on you through My
finished work on the cross. By grace you have been
saved through faith, and that not of yourself it
is the gift of God. What's more, My compassions
never fail. They are new every morning. So begin
your day expectantly, ready to receive fresh
compassions. Don't let yesterday's failures weigh you
down. Learn from your mistakes and confess known
sins, but don't let those become your focus.
Instead, keep your eyes on Me.
I am slow to anger. So don't be quick to
judge yourself - or others. Rather, rejoice that I
am rich in Love. In fact, Love is at the very
core of who I am. Your growth in grace involves
learning to be more attentive to Me, more receptive
to My loving Presence. This requires vigilant
effort because the evil one despises your closeness
to Me. Strive to stay alert, and remember:
There is no condemnation for those who belong to
Me! (Psa. 145:8, 9; Eph. 2:8; Lam. 3:22, 23;
Rom. 8:1) [Jesus Always by Sarah Young]
ONE OF THE GREAT HYMNS OF PRAISE:
When I Survey the Wondrous Cross [Live]:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Aq9KISzaAo
LINKS FOR FURTHER STUDY ON THIS TOPIC
Psalm 139:1-6 - Awesome Attributes of God!
Part One " OMNISCIENCE
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2018/20180708-1214.html
Psalm 139:7-12 - Awesome Attributes of God!
Part Two " OMNIPRESENCE
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2018/20180722-1304.html
Psalm 139:13-18 - Awesome Attributes of God!
Part Three OMNIPOTENCE
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2018/20180916-2104.html
Psalm 139:19-24 - Awesome Attributes of God!
Part Four
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2006/20060630-0710.html
Romans 1:18-20 - The Revelation of God in
Creation.
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2015/20150719-1023.html
YOUR COMMENTS
If anyone has a paraphrase, commentary or
testimony on this passage of Scripture, either
personal or otherwise, I would be interested in
hearing from you. Thanks in advance and let's keep
uplifting Jesus that all might be drawn to Him. Fred
Gibbs
LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT
Most Important Decision in Life:
http://www.youtube.com/embed/WGnEuGwvXqU?rel=0
A Man without Equal by Bill Bright:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiVa7UoruIo
Seeking God Made Real:
http://vimeo.com/31489782
Prayer Made Real:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc8VdMV26VE
Importance of Choice:
http://creationhealth.com/CREATION-Health/Choice [click on video]
Medical Seminar on Healthful Living by David
DeRose, MD, MPH:
https://www.smartlifestyletv.com/lifestart
LINKS FOR BIBLE STUDIES
Lifting Up Jesus Bible Studies:
http://www.liftingupjesus.net/
Amazing Facts Bible Studies:
http://www.amazingfacts.org/bible-study/bible-study-guides.aspx
Hope Awakens Bible Study Guides:
https://www.hopeawakens.study/lesson-header;id=2
Glow Tract Video Bible Studies:
http://www.bibleresearch.info/
LINKS FOR BIBLE PROPHECY SEMINARS
Revelation Now by Pastor Doug Batchelor:
https://www.revelationnow.com/
Unlocking Bible Prophecies by Cami Oetman of
Adventist World Radio:
https://bible.awr.org/en/the-signs/
Hope Awakens by John Bradshaw of IIW:
https://itiswritten.tv/programs/hope-awakens
Prophecies Decoded by Pastor Ron Clouzet:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1A435C5373550657
