Focus

Let yourself become open to God and the knowledge that comes from the Word. Ask God for peace at this time.

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Read

Psalm 145 (NRSV)

Praise. Of David.

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;
his greatness is unsearchable.
One generation shall laud 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.

The might of your awesome deeds shall be proclaimed,
and I will declare your greatness.
They shall celebrate 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 compassion is over all that he has made.
All your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord,
and all your faithful shall bless you.
They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom,
and tell of your power,
to make known to all people 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 gracious in all his deeds.
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,
satisfying the desire of every living thing.

The Lord is just in all his ways,
and kind in all his doings.
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.

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Reflect

“God is great, God is good, and we thank Him for our food. By His hand, we all are fed; give us Lord our daily bread. Amen.” This simply childhood prayer reminds us that God is great enough and good enough to sustain us in our daily journey of faith no matter the circumstances we face. In Psalm 145, the psalmist calls all to take the time to look back over our lives, and in so doing, reflect on the goodness of God. In this reflection, the psalmist challenges us to praise God for His greatness, compassion, and faithfulness to us.

To paraphrase a familiar hymn, the psalmist urges us to count our blessings by naming them one by one. As many of us look back over the past year, we may not feel blessed. Perhaps you have lost a loved one, a job, or a home and you are struggling to recognize either God’s greatness or His goodness. If that describes you, then read Psalm 145 again because it assures us that regardless of the circumstances of our lives, God never leaves us; in fact, as we just celebrated at Christmas, God gave us the greatest gift imaginable—the gift of Jesus who we call Emmanuel, “God with us”. Be assured this day that the great, good, and ever-giving God is with you and that He will sustain you.

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Pray

Gracious God, we praise You for Your greatness and Your goodness; we praise You for Your faithfulness in the past, and we trust You to remain faithful in the future. Amen.

Go with God!