“My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord, and all flesh will bless His holy name forever and ever.”

Today is our final day walking verse by verse through Psalm 145 and I hope it’s been a blessing to you. As we’ve taken a closer look at some of the attributes of God, I hope you have gotten a more precious picture of our loving Father and eternal King. And I pray that this study will be just the beginning for you as you dive deeper into God’s Word to read what is revealed about Him.  

We are so very blessed to have the Bible. I sometimes think we take for granted how precious God’s Word really is. Often, we either fall to the side of undervaluing the Bible, forgetting to read it, seeing it as just another space holder on our bookshelves or nightstands, or to idolizing the Bible, studying it not to draw closer to God, but to fill our heads with facts and knowledge. Either approach to the Word of God is wrong.  

See, the Bible in all its amazing glory has the primary goal of revealing God to us and drawing us into an intimate relationship with our Creator. It is the reflection of His heart, His words recorded for our benefit. It is the revelation of His truth. The Holy Spirit uses it to inspire us and illuminate our minds to the things of God. But it is important for us to remember that it is not God – it reveals God.  

As David wrote this Psalm thousands of years ago, his heart was turned toward God. The Holy Spirit worked through David to record this beautiful description of God that not only expressed the truth David had come to realize about our Creator, but also expressed the truth that could draw each of us into a personal relationship with Him. See, David’s heart is summed up in today’s verse – His promise that he would praise the Lord and that all the people of the world would bless His holy name. David understood the point; he understood what was important.

I have found myself on both sides of the pendulum when it comes to the Word of God. There have been times in my walk where my Bible has just sat on a shelf, mostly ignored until Sunday morning when I would tuck it under my arm and carry it with me into church. I’d follow along with the sermon and read what the pastor preached on. Then I would go home and tuck it back on a shelf or set it on my nightstand, forgotten until the next Sunday rolled around.

Then there have been times where I have become almost obsessive in studying. I have dug in so deep and tried to consume every fact about the scriptures, from when they were written, to who wrote it, and the culture surrounding each verse. Now, that is not bad at all, and I truly believe that for us to understand the Bible fully, that kind of study is important. But if we aren’t careful, we can know a lot about the Bible and miss actually knowing the Author. That is where I found myself at one point: so obsessed with the letters on the page that I failed to let them draw me to their Source.  

See, we were created to KNOW God. Not just know about Him, but to KNOW Him- intimately, passionately, thoroughly. We were called to be one with Him. His Word is a key window, a doorway of sorts, that we can use to draw near to our Creator. But friends, if we are studying the Word of God for any reason other than to KNOW the God who authored it, then we are missing the point.  

Like David, our final aim in our walk with God should be to bring Him praise. We should be striving to let His praises fall from our lips continually. The goal of this life is to know (and I mean know as in more than just an intellectual pursuit, but an intimate oneness) and be known by God. Period. If we walk through this life and gain all the wisdom of the world and understand all the facts about the Word of God, but we miss a relationship with Jesus, then we have missed the most important thing.

However, if we seek hard after Christ, turning to His Word daily to get to know Him more, intertwining the study of His Word with prayer, worship, and surrender to the Spirit – even if we don’t know all the facts, we will have found the prize. A life surrendered to Christ as Lord is the only thing that matters in the end. This is our aim. This is our goal.  

As David concluded this psalm, may we all confidently be able to say, “My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord, and all flesh will bless His holy name forever and ever.” May we approach our relationship with God and with His Word with the deep desire to be a worshiper of the Most High King. May we come with thanksgiving on our lips and praises in our hearts. And may we declare with our lives that God is our King, that we seek to truly know Him more, and that we are His children forevermore!

Father God,

You are so good, and Your mercies endure forever. Thank You for the gift of Your Word. Help me to not disregard it and loose that connection with You. And also, help me not to elevate it to a place of idolatry and thus miss my relationship with You. God, I just want You. Thank You for revealing Yourself in Your Word. Thank You that I can turn to it to learn about You and meet You in study. Help me to savor that time with You and teach me to praise You all the days of my life and forevermore!

Amen