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145 I will extol you, my God and King,
and bless your name forever and ever.
Every day I will bless you
and praise your name forever and ever.
Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised,
and his greatness is unsearchable.
One generation shall commend your works to another,
and shall declare your mighty acts.
On the glorious splendor of your majesty,
and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.
They shall speak of the might of your awesome deeds,
and I will declare your greatness.
They shall pour forth the fame of your abundant goodness
and shall sing aloud of your righteousness.
The LORD is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
The LORD is good to all,
and his mercy is over all that he has made.
All your works shall give thanks to you, O LORD,
and all your saints shall bless you!
They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom
and tell of your power,
to make known to the children of man your mighty deeds,
and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
and your dominion endures throughout all generations.
[The LORD is faithful in all his words
and kind in all his works.]
The LORD upholds all who are falling
and raises up all who are bowed down.
The eyes of all look to you,
and you give them their food in due season.
You open your hand;
you satisfy the desire of every living thing.
The LORD is righteous in all his ways
and kind in all his works.
The LORD is near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him in truth.
He fulfills the desire of those who fear him;
he also hears their cry and saves them.
The LORD preserves all who love him,
but all the wicked he will destroy.
My mouth will speak the praise of the LORD,
and let all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever.
(ESV)
“Observe that David is firmly resolved to praise God. My text has four ‘I wills’ in it. Frequently it is foolish for us poor mortals to say ‘I will,’ because our will is so feeble and fickle; but when we resolve upon the praise of God, we may say, ‘I will,’ and ‘I will,’ and ‘I will,’ and ‘I will.’”
Charles Spurgeon
On top of this, David uses many different titles to address God signifying His belief in the different roles God played in His life. Verse 1 alone contains, “You,” “My God” and “King.” God was not only God of the universe but also David’s spiritual Father and spiritual King. David may have been King of Israel but he rightly recognized that He was ultimately under the Lordship of God.
David lavished God with praise in a way that few do today. Just think back to when he stripped down and danced in the streets with all his might to the glory of God…
David was dancing with all his might before the LORD wearing a linen ephod. 15 He and the whole house of Israel were bringing up the ark of the LORD with shouts and the sound of the ram’s horn. 16 As the ark of the LORD was entering the city of David, Saul’s daughter Michal looked down from the window and saw King David leaping and dancing before the LORD, and she despised him in her heart.’
2 Samuel 6:14-16 HCSB
David didn’t care what others thought about his dancing. He loved God with all his heart. You get the impression that David did not believe in half-hearted worship or withholding worship altogether. He was always ready to give his God the highest praise, no matter the situation. This is a convicting point.
Do you worship God half-heartedly? Do you withhold worship from Him depending on your mood or social setting?
“We don’t think that dancing is strange when the baseball player rounds the bases after the game winning home run. We don’t think it is strange when the winning touchdown is scored or when our own child scores a goal. We think nothing at hands raised at a concert or a touchdown. Why should we think them strange in worship to God?”
David Guzik
David had a genuine emotional link to God and it showed. Many Christians today make emotions the center of their walk while others repress them for the purpose of remaining solemn and respectable. Both actions can separate us from experiencing a meaningful and balanced relationship with God. Emotions shouldn’t be repressed but I also do not think they should be manipulated or manufactured.
The critical point for each of us to consider is if we are currently withholding praise or coming to Him half-heartedly. It is challenging to read how David praised His God and always glorified Him to the fullest.