Who God Is
Psalm 145 paints a wonderful picture of who God is.
God is great. God is majestic and full of splendor. He does wondrous miracles. He is full of goodness, and joy is found in his righteousness. God is kind and merciful. He is slow to get angry and is full of unfailing love. He showers us with compassion.
A new realization struck me as I read through this Psalm again: God is all of these things all of the time. Never is he more or less any of what he is. All of who God is always exists fully. Not only that, but all of who he is is always active in our lives too.
“The Lord helps the fallen and lifts up those bent beneath their load.” (v. 14)
“The Lord is close to all who call on him, yes, to all who call on him sincerely.” (v. 18)
In other words, he interacts with all of who he is in intimate and encouraging ways. This interaction is promised to those who genuinely seek him.
Circumstances and Emotions
When life gets heavy, my feelings struggle to line up with my knowledge of who God is. Reading Psalm 145 helps me refocus all of who I am (my feelings and my knowledge) on all of who God is rather than on myself and how I’m feeling.
My circumstances and my emotions too often steal my focus. They distract me from the truth of who God is. So, I need to be continually reminded.
Lord, I know you are all of these things – GREAT. MAJESTIC. FULL OF SPLENDOR. WONDROUS. RIGHTEOUS. KIND. MERCIFUL. PATIENT. UNFAILING. LOVING. COMPASSIONATE. FAITHFUL. GRACIOUS. CLOSE. – Help my heart (my feelings) and my head be unified in their focus.
