Psalm 145:10-18 (NRSV)
Read Psalm 145:10-18 on biblegateway.com
Verse 10All your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord, and all your faithful shall bless you.
Verse 11They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom, and tell of your power,
Verse 12to make known to all people your mighty deeds, and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
Verse 13Your 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.
Verse 14The Lord upholds all who are falling, and raises up all who are bowed down.
Verse 15The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food in due season.
Verse 16You open your hand, satisfying the desire of every living thing.
Verse 17The Lord is just in all his ways, and kind in all his doings.
Verse 18The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.
Devotion
Every night I tell my children I love them before they go to bed. Once my daughter asked me how she could trust that this really meant that I loved her. I explained that ultimately she simply had to believe that I did. I added that I hoped she knew by the way I treated her, fathered her, supported her, etc. that she would not have a hard time knowing that. She nodded and seemed to grasp that concept.
Our psalm today affirms the reality that God is indeed faithful, caring, empathetic and giving, yet does not give any reason why we should believe that. Yet, we do. We trust. We believe. We know. We know because this God we love and worship turns twenty loaves into enough for one hundred people. We know because this God we love and worship regularly hears our prayers and meets us where we are. We know because this God we love and worship comes through again and again—walking with us through our struggles and lifting us up in our despair while also buoying us up in our celebrations. God is faithful—even when we stray. God does not leave us. And for that we simply say thanks!
Prayer
Lord of all creation, you promise to walk with us through all that life throws at us. Right now, it seems that life is throwing too much in the direction of many of us—help us. Meet us in our despair, our wondering, our lack of faith and strengthen us so that we can move forward knowing you go with us, always. Amen.