Psalms 145:18 The LORD is near to all who call on Him,
To all who call on Him in truth.
This Psalms in the Hebrew Bible begins with a Psalm of praise of David. In the Christian Bible it begins with the first verse 145:1 I will exalt You, my God, the King, And I will bless Your name forever and ever.
Another difference is that in the Hebrew version it is called a Psalm of Praise but in the Dead Sea Scrolls it is called a Psalm of Prayer of David. I think it is both. This is the last Psalms that is attributed to David.
In the Hebrew Bible each verse begins with a letter of the Hebrew Bible. This is called acrostic form poem in which in the more common form the beginning word of each line begins with a letter that will spell a word. I have not accomplished this form of poetry. The Dead Sea Scrolls ends each line with a recuring line or chorus… which says Blessed be God, and blessed be His name forever and ever. There are nine acrostic Psalms: 9, 10, 25, 34, 37, 111, 112, 118, and 145.Psalms 34 is my favorite Psalms.
After this Psalms the last six Psalms are praise songs. Now there was something I learned years ago… This is the first verse from the last ten Psalms in the Bible— read from 140 to 150 and it takes you from despair to praise.
Psalms 140:1 Rescue me, LORD, from evil people;
Protect me from violent men
Psalms 141:1 Rescue me, LORD, from evil people;
Protect me from violent men
Psalms 142:1 May the wicked fall into their own nets, While I pass by safely.
Psalms 143:1 Hear my prayer, LORD,
Listen to my pleadings!
Answer me in Your faithfulness, in Your righteousness!
Psalms 144:1 Blessed be the LORD, my rock,
Who trains my hands for war,
And my fingers for battle;
Psalms 145:1 I will exalt You, my God, the King,
And I will bless Your name forever and ever.
Praise the LORD, my soul!
Psalms 147:1 Praise the LORD!
For it is good to sing praises to our God;
For it is pleasant and praise is beautiful.
Psalms 148:1 Praise the LORD!
Praise the LORD from the heavens;
Praise Him in the heights!
Sing a new song to the LORD,
And His praise in the congregation of the godly ones.
Praise God in His sanctuary;
Praise Him in His mighty expanse.
I have read these in times of despair, and they have blessed me, and because they have helped me, I am passing this onto u you.
But what does this verse mean for us today…It is a reminder for us to praise God… not just at church but each day… Thank Him for the lovely earth and skies He created for our joy. Thank Him for your salvation. Thank Him for the people that He has placed in your life. Thank Him for your rising up and your laying down.
But there is more… we should do this in truth meaning if you only praise God because it what you have been told but do not believe what you are saying… it is better not to say it. God wants us to be our true selves with Him… it is how that He can change us for the better. God wants us to grow including in how we feel when we offer up praises and gratitude. Just as David spoke honestly about his brokenness, God used that to show us that when we cannot speak our brokenness to others-We can speak it Him. God teaches us how to do so because when we can show how God has healed our brokenness…then He can use us to heal others.
Today is a grey and rainy day, but it is a day the Lord hath made, and the rains feed the flowers and the trees, and grows our food… So be thankful for this gift of a grey and rainy day. (Today July 22, 2024 is also a grey day, but the farmers need the rain.)
Today’s Question:
When you praise God do you feel the joy or is it just words you are saying? If you do not feel the joy, have you asked God to change the way you praise Him?
Ever in Christ’s Love,
Mary Elizabeth Todd
March 9, 2024 & July 22, 2024
Ruhamah United Methodist Church Bible Verses 