In the first part of this psalm, David tells of his determined heart to extol, to bless, to praise the Great God of eternity. Four times he says, “I will…” He says he will praise God every day, as though he is practicing for eternity where he expects to be adoring his God forever. I am encouraged to make adoration a daily habit.
David also expects that each generation that knows their God and King will declare God’s greatness to the next generation. They will share the wonder of God’s works and His splendor. They will sing loudly about God. One translation of verse 7 of the psalm puts it like this: “they will bubble over with the memory of God’s abundant goodness.” When I am with others, do I often ‘bubble over’, delighted to tell about the goodness of God in my life?
The rest of this psalm is a description of God- His heart, His character, His commitment to His creation. David instructs me to think long and deeply about all the ways God is caring for us. And he makes it clear that the Lord’s people, His saints, are to speak about God’s glorious kingdom and power. We are to make God famous by sharing with others all we have seen of God in our lives. I see now in this psalm that adoration is a discipline as well as a delight. I decide to praise and thank God for His abundant goodness. It is a choice I make. And as soon as I begin to practice praise, the abundant evidence of His goodness all around me becomes clear. David has made a list in this psalm of more than twenty reasons to praise his God. What’s on my list? What’s on yours? Who can we share our lists with?
