Psalm 145 provides us with a helpful balance between two extremes: The first is a myopic view of the world that is only thinking about the here and how, the second is being too concerned about the distant future.
It can be dangerous to read too much into the crisis of the day. I remember sermons preached during the Gulf War of the early 1990s equating those events with the prophecies from the book of Daniel. According to these preachers we were in the “end times,” yet more than 30 years later we are still here; other crises have come and gone, and we now face new ones. Psalm 145 reminds us that kings come and kings go, nations rise and fall, but God remains faithful and is ”near to all who call on him in truth” (v. 18, NRSVUE).
Being too worried about the future can also be unhelpful; it is seldom fruitful to make declarations about what heaven will be like, who is in and who is out, and how the logistics of everything will work. Don’t misunderstand me, there are times where doing some wondering around death and life after death can be a source of comfort, but it must always and only be done with a sense of humble mystery. Here too Psalm 145 offers a helpful framework: Our God is glorious and majestic, and God will be worshiped throughout all generations. Not only that, but the worship of the Almighty will continue into eternity. We don’t need to worry about who is in or out of heaven, our God is both just and kind. God is both tender and compassionate and not afraid to destroy the wicked. But it is God’s decision, God’s acts, God’s design. Our role is to continue to proclaim God’s praise and bear testimony so that others come and join in worship.
At a time when there is increasing rhetoric that seeks to divide and distract the church and the world from the truth, let Psalm 145 help center us on the gospel. God has done great things. God is doing great things. God will do great things. Our God is worthy of our praise. Therefore, let us worship the triune God and live with confidence and joy, assured that all will be well, from generation to generation, forever and ever.
Consider encouraging your worshiping community to memorize these verses from Psalm 145, to dwell with them so that they may provide an anchor in times when praise is the most difficult.
Using Psalm 145:1–5, 17–21 in Worship
Opening Words of Praise: Psalm 145:1–5
[The first portion of the psalm could be spoken as a call to worship, as a response following God’s greeting, or in the midst of a time of praise. The text in brown is from the psalm. Each sentence could be assigned to different people representing various generations. The last phrase from this portion of the psalm has been inserted as a possible refrain that could be spoken by yet another reader, all the readers together, or another small group, with the whole congregation joining in at the end.]
I will extol you, my God and King,
and bless your name forever and ever.
And on your wondrous works I will meditate.
Every day I will bless you
and praise your name forever and ever.
And on your wondrous works I will meditate.
Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised;
his greatness is unsearchable.
And on your wondrous works I will meditate.
One generation shall extol your works to another
and shall declare your mighty acts.
And on your wondrous works I will meditate.
They will recount the glorious splendor of your majesty,
and on your wondrous works I will meditate.
—Psalm 145:1-5 NRSVUE
[Following this reading, spend time meditating on God’s wondrous works. That can be done through the sharing of testimony, song, prayer, silence, or a sermon on God’s mighty acts.]
Call to Confession and Lament
Our God is complex, and our relationship with the triune God is a complex one. But it comes down to this: if we believe the gospel message, trust God for our salvation, and follow God’s ways, we can be assured of our salvation and that God is with us even in difficult times. We come to confess our sins not to be saved again, but to be reminded that we needed to be saved to begin with, and to re-orientate ourselves to God’s mercy so that we too can be merciful.
Our God is also a God of justice and promises to set right what is wrong in this world. While we get to join in the work, we are neither the judge nor the jury. So we bring to God our laments, knowing that we will be heard, and God will do what is right.
Prayer of Confession and Lament: Psalm 145:17
With those truths in mind let us pray as the psalmist says,
The Lord is just in all his ways
and kind in all his doings.
—Psalm 145:17 NRSVUE
Lord, be merciful to us,
for we are sinners.
We have not followed your commands;
we have not put you first,
nor have we loved others as much as ourselves.
We claim your promise that in you alone is our salvation.
We need you to work in our lives,
to send your Spirit to convict and teach us,
to see this world as you see it,
to love all people as you love them,
to care for the creation you created,
and to bear your image more fully in all we do and say.
While we desire your mercy, we also plead for your justice.
There are those who do not see the need for your forgiveness,
and with great intent seek to increase their power and wealth.
They take from those who have little so they can have more.
They create fear, chaos, and discord.
They speak lies as if they were the truth.
They destroy the livelihoods of people and take lives.
They traumatize communities and children.
Lord, show your mercy to those who follow you,
but wield your mighty power against the unjust.
Amen.
—Joyce Borger © 2025 ReformedWorship.org, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0. Used by permission.
Words of Assurance: Psalm 145:18–21
Hear these words of assurance from Psalm 145,
The Lord is near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him in truth.
He fulfills the desire of all who fear him;
he also hears their cry and saves them.
The Lord watches over all who love him,
but all the wicked he will destroy.
My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord,
and all flesh will bless his holy name forever and ever.
—Psalm 145:18-21 NRSVUE
