A Cup of Grace – with a shot of espresso

Recently, I decided to do a closer look at Psalm 145.  I know someone who chooses a Psalm at the beginning of each year. They, then, mediate and study on throughout the year.  That is taking a close look at scripture to whole new level for me.  I don’t know that I’ll spend the entire year focused on on this Psalm.  However, I did decide to work over one verse a week.

Already, in the first verse, I have found new depths I hadn’t seen before.  I didn’t go to a commentary. Though, I may before this is over.  Rather, I simply looked at each word and considered its choice and precise meaning. I discovered that focusing intensely on even words I “know” opens up new understandings. 

See what I mean with what follows. Each time the verse appears below, try reading it aloud emphasizing the boldfaced word within it. In fact, pause before reading what I see in it. Take time to contemplate the meaning created by the emphasis. Watch how this changes your perspective, like holding up a prism and turning it to new angles. New shimmering colors will appear.

I will extol You, my God, O King;
And bless your name forever and ever.

“I” – is the first person PERSONAL pronoun. This is a taking of personal responsibility.  Speaking only for myself. No matter what anyone else is doing I will praise God. 

I WILL extol You, my God, O King;
And bless your name forever and ever.

“Will” – indicates a choice, a commitment to immediate future/ future action. It is also part of the verb phrase “will extol.”  I choose to make a committed promise to praise God. This is not forced upon me, nor is this dependent on how I feel. There are no qualifiers. I am not saying that when life is good, or I get my way, or when my hormones are in alignment, or when life is clicking pleasantly along, I will praise God.  Rather, I will praise God – period.  

I will EXTOL You, my God, O King;
And bless your name forever and ever.

“Extol” – according to the dictionary, to extol someone is to lavish praise on them, to exalt or lift up.  I will lavish praise on God. I will lift Him up. Praise is different than thanksgiving.  There is a forgetting of self and a complete focus on God in praise.  I generally think of this as rejoicing in WHO God is. Sometimes my gratitude for what He has done causes me to praise Him for what I see about Him as a result. I thank Him for the food before me.  I praise Him because He is a provider. When I “extol” God,  I am choosing to pour out praises to God in abundance. 

I will extol YOU, my God, O King;
And bless your name forever and ever.

“You” – second person personal pronoun, the person whom we are addressing, in this case, God. I will extol/lavish praise on GOD, not on chance or the universe, others, or myself. Addressing God directly also recognizes that He is a “being” with personhood. There is the assumption within it that He HEARS me! My praise is totally focused on Him. 

I will extol You, MY God, O King;
And bless your name forever and ever.

. 

“My” -is the first person possessive pronoun, announcing ownership. I am connecting myself to God, claiming Him as mine.  God’s relationship with me and mine with Him is personal. This too involves a choosing. God may be my parents’ God, and my husband’s, but if I join the Psalmist here, I claim Him as my own.  That understanding is life changing. I don’t honor Him because it is expected of me by others. I honor Him because I have a personal connection with Him. 

I will extol You, my GOD, O King;
And bless your name forever and ever.

“God” – the supreme eternal being whose power is far above any. I recognize His position of power over all. He is divine, and I am not.  He is not a man or human in any way. I speak of Him in human terms because I am finite and so is my understanding. I am made in HIS image. He is not to be made in mine; though we often do just that, make God in our image. In doing so, we make Him less than He is.

I will extol You, my God, O KING;
And bless your name forever and ever. 

“O King” – the ruling authority, not an elected position. I recognize that God’s authority is not something I or anyone else gives Him. He, because He is God, owns that position.  He’s on his throne regardless of my response to that. Like any subject to a king, I can bow my knee, recognize and submit to that authority, or I can rebel against it. Here, I claim God as mine and follow that up by submitting to his authority over me. My heart bows on bent knees as I say this. 

I will extol You, my God, O King;
AND bless your name forever and ever.

”And” – a conjunction indicating connection and addition. I have already chosen pour out praise to God, yet I have more to give. Praise is interesting that way. When I truly am praising God, there is more and more to say, more and more to give. This may be because praise somehow opens up my view of Him.

I will extol You, my God, O King;
And BLESS your name forever and ever.

 

“Bless” – is a verb, an action defined as “to extol as holy, glorify”. Again, I am choosing to praise and lift up God.  I am also recognizing His holiness, his separateness. He is a ruler like none other. There is none equal to Him or even like Him. 

I will extol You, my God, O King;
And bless YOUR name forever and ever. 

“Your” – is a second person possessive pronoun.  I am choosing to focus on God alone.  This praise isn’t meant for anyone else.

I will extol You, my God, O King;
And bless your NAME forever and ever.

“Name” – in Israelite culture, a name was significant. A name indicated who you were. When I bless God’s name, I am glorifying Him for who He is, encompassing all His traits. So, who is God? What ARE His traits? He is all powerful, all knowing, perfect in righteousness and justice.  He is also merciful, compassionate, and tender. The list is not complete. I bless Him for all that and more. Again, I am acknowledging His far above separateness. 

I will extol You, my God, O King;
And bless your name forever and ever

“Forever and ever” – meaning without end. The repetition of “and ever” is there to add emphasis. I am choosing to lift up praises and glory to God without end. I find it interesting that the psalmist doesn’t say “until the end of my days.” If you read Revelation, you will see that we continue praising God beyond death. There are multiple promises throughout the New Testament of “eternal life.” 

Circumstances change. If I choose to bless His name forever and ever, I am deciding to praise God continuously through all circumstances. I recognize that His worthiness of praise stands completely apart from me.

In summary, I am choosing to lavish praise on a personal God who has all authority.  I will glorify who He is for all time.  I am promising that praising God will be the golden thread that runs through the tapestry of my entire life.

I was in awe of the way this verse opened up with just a little bit of focus. I hope the richness I found within it blesses you in the way it blessed me.  I also hope you find yourself challenged to try this on your own. (Note: Psalm 23:1 would be a great place to start.)

I can echo the psalmist’s words:

“I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies, as much as in all riches.  I will meditate on Your precepts, and contemplate Your ways. I will delight myself in Your statues; I will not forget Your word” (119:14-16).