“Abounding in Steadfast Love”
As we come close to the end of Advent, today we read a celebration Psalm. Psalm 145 is about praising the wonderful greatness of our God. As we have read through the story of Jesus’ birth, we have seen how God is faithful to all of His promises in the sending of Jesus as our savior and redeemer. This Psalm gives voice to how great God is in all of HIs works and how worthy of praise He is in His character, “gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.”
Last week we read a poem from Isaiah about a messenger bringing good news to a broken and confused people, “Your God reigns!”. Today we read a poem praising the glory of God’s Kingdom. His Kingdom is an everlasting kingdom and His dominion endures throughout all generations. This was brought to full manifestation in King Jesus. What we celebrate at Christmas is the coming of a savior and king in Jesus Christ. We can have hope, peace, and joy because we celebrate God’s steadfast love revealed in the first advent of Christ. This helps nurture hope, peace, and joy as we are waiting for the second advent, the coming of His kingdom in its fullness and the redemption of all creation. This is the coming dawn we wait for as watchmen. It is truly a moment worth waiting for!
Scriptures
Great Is the Lord
A Song of Praise. Of David.
145 I will extol you, my God and King,
and bless your name forever and ever.
2 Every day I will bless you
and praise your name forever and ever.
3 Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised,
and his greatness is unsearchable.
4 One generation shall commend your works to another,
and shall declare your mighty acts.
5 On the glorious splendor of your majesty,
and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.
6 They shall speak of the might of your awesome deeds,
and I will declare your greatness.
7 They shall pour forth the fame of your abundant goodness
and shall sing aloud of your righteousness.
8 The Lord is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
9 The Lord is good to all,
and his mercy is over all that he has made.
10 All your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord,
and all your saints shall bless you!
11 They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom
and tell of your power,
12 to make known to the children of man your mighty deeds,
and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
13 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.]
14 The Lord upholds all who are falling
and raises up all who are bowed down.
15 The eyes of all look to you,
and you give them their food in due season.
16 You open your hand;
you satisfy the desire of every living thing.
17 The Lord is righteous in all his ways
and kind in all his works.
18 The Lord is near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him in truth.
19 He fulfills the desire of those who fear him;
he also hears their cry and saves them.
20 The Lord preserves all who love him,
but all the wicked he will destroy.
21 My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord,
and let all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever.
7 How beautiful upon the mountains
are the feet of him who brings good news,
who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness,
who publishes salvation,
who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.”
8 The voice of your watchmen—they lift up their voice;
together they sing for joy;
for eye to eye they see
the return of the Lord to Zion.
9 Break forth together into singing,
you waste places of Jerusalem,
for the Lord has comforted his people;
he has redeemed Jerusalem.
10 The Lord has bared his holy arm
before the eyes of all the nations,
and all the ends of the earth shall see
the salvation of our God.