TELL IT LIKE IT IS –

The compilers of this hymn book portion of the Psalter wanted the pilgrims not only to thank the good LORD for what He had done in the past, but to focus on how they would carry on serving Him in the future. No one wanted to walk out of the holy sanctuary to head home and not think about how good God is and why they need Him so much until it’s time to come back. They wanted to make it a daily exercise in praise and worship. So they chose this praise song of David that he composed to give God glory for bringing him through victoriously time and time again.

“Every day of my life I want to lift up my One True God and King of kings; to praise and worship Him for who He is. The LORD Eternal is magnificence, and His glory exceeds our imagination, that’s reason enough to exalt Him. Each generation should tell the next generation all about His miraculous accomplishments. That is why I continue to describe the glorious magnificence of Your splendor and Your miraculous accomplishment; so that mankind will talk about the effects of Your awesome works, and proclaim how great Thou art. I want them to celebrate the memory of Your abundant goodness, and sing about Your kindness and mercy. For the LORD Eternal is so gracious and compassionate that He rarely gets angry because His lovingkindness is overwhelming. The LORD Eternal is good to everyone and merciful to everything He created. That’s why Your greatest creation should praise You, O LORD Eternal; yes, Your saints should heap praise on You. They should testify about Your fantastic power and the beauty of Your everlasting kingdom again and again. For Your kingdom will never end; You will remain on Your throne generation after generation. That’s because You, O LORD Eternal, stand behind every promise You make, and every promise You make is done out of love. For You, O LORD Eternal, reach out to the fallen, and hold up those about to stumble. That’s why everyone looks to You with expectancy because You always shows up at the right time with the right thing in Your open hand. For the LORD Eternal is just and kind and merciful in everything He does. The LORD Eternal is never far away from those who confess Him as their Lord and are sincere in their relationship with Him. He grants those who revere Him the desires of their heart, and His heart is touched by their calls for help. The LORD Eternal looks out for those who really love Him, but frustrates the plans of habitual sinners. I will publicly praise the LORD Eternal as long as I live, and continue to tell everyone I meet about His unparalleled reputation.” Psalm 145:1-21

Reflection: Dr. Samuel Johnson was a towering figure of 18^th century English literature. He once wrote an essay concerning the prospects of finding someone to trust and believe in. He stated that one may live a long, long time before finding a friend who is understanding, with integrity, one could fully trust and whose opinions one values as being just and sincere. He concluded that a passive person, no matter how honest and well-intentioned, finds it hard to judge a friend; while a positive and outgoing individual, no matter how insightful, do not always give the best counsel. We often choose friends because they like what we like. Therefore, they minimize our faults because they have the same ones, and don’t want to point an accusing finger at themselves. Friends can be very sympathetic, and unwilling to cause us pain. Although they are concerned about what we are doing or the way we are conducting ourselves, they don’t want to offend us with criticism. King David had plenty of friends, but he knew of only One who did not hesitate to tell him if he was right or wrong; someone who left no doubt concerning things as they really are. Furthermore, he knew that his God did not make-believe or pretend. So no matter how much it hurt, he always got a straight answer from His Heavenly Father.

But David also recognized that he must reciprocate with the same honesty and sincerity in order to keep his relationship with God alive and healthy. As Dr. Johnson indicated, sometimes people we call friends will not always tell us the real facts. They must learn that in order to be considered genuine friends, they should be honest without being hurtful; they must be open without being obnoxious. So ask yourself, the next time you go to God in prayer do you want Him to treat you like a real friend and tell you the truth, or would you rather that He made excuses?