Reflections
When we reflect on what
God has done for us,
Discussion Questions for Reflection
“Great is the Lord and highly to be praised.”
When we reflect on what
God has done for us,
we remember that God
has always done good
has always done good
things for us. That is
God's nature. As the Psalm
says, “His greatness is
unsearchable.” And so
we pray this psalm to
bless, praise, and exalt
the heavenly Father in
His perfection and in
His works.
God's nature. As the Psalm
says, “His greatness is
unsearchable.” And so
we pray this psalm to
bless, praise, and exalt
the heavenly Father in
His perfection and in
His works.
Our psalmist dwells on
the everlasting nature of God,
the everlasting nature of God,
on His love and presence
throughout all time, and we
are called to praise the Lord
forever and ever.
throughout all time, and we
are called to praise the Lord
forever and ever.
Our psalmist reminds us,
“The Lord is good to all
and compassionate
and compassionate
toward all His works.”
We know this inherently
because we live our lives
within an unending stream
of divine love.
because we live our lives
within an unending stream
of divine love.
“The Lord is near to all
who call upon him.”
who call upon him.”
His presence is shown
in the help, nourishment,
and salvation that He shows
to us. The prophet Isaiah
urges us, “Seek the Lord
while He may be found,
call Him while He is near.”
in the help, nourishment,
and salvation that He shows
to us. The prophet Isaiah
urges us, “Seek the Lord
while He may be found,
call Him while He is near.”
(Isaiah 55: 6)
We praise God because of
His divine attributes
His divine attributes
of compassion and love.
And fortunately for us,
the Son shares fully in
the perfection and works
of the Father. So we also
sing this psalm in honor of
Christ our Savior, Who shares
fully in the perfection of God,
the Son shares fully in
the perfection and works
of the Father. So we also
sing this psalm in honor of
Christ our Savior, Who shares
fully in the perfection of God,
and in the works of the Father,
Amen
Discussion Questions for Reflection
1. Our psalmist assures us, 'The Lord is near to all who call upon Him.'
This verse requires us to make the extra effort to reach out to God if we want to be in His presence. Tell of how you have reached out to the Lord and what has been the result.
2. The Psalm calls upon us to praise His name forever and ever. Say how you go about praising the Lord in your daily life. Give examples.
Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, and His greatness is unsearchable. No matter how we search and discover the greatness of God in our own life, we will never plumb the depths. The best man ever does is only a slight reflection of the greatness of God that exists for eternity.
ReplyDeleteGod's greatness, however, does not stop Him from helping His children; we are not too lowly for His notice. In spite of our sin before a Holy and Righteous God, The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. We will spend our entire lives trying to master our spirit; God, however, is not a God impatient with our sin and frailties; He is patient and longsuffering with His children, always abounding in love and mercy.
God's kingdom is everlasting, it endures through all generations. We are amazed if a nation lasts 200 years; the concept of forever is a hard one to perceive. It seems too good to be true, so why doesn't everyone claim this God as their own? We are so filled with sin that our hearts are filled with distrust, we often think of God in this manner - too good to be true.
Psalm 145 is a Psalm we can hang on to and claim as our own; it's a great Psalm to pull out on those hopeless days when everything seems to be going wrong. Our life here on earth is only a speck in the eternity we will spend with the Lord!
We pray today that our eyes will look to God, the only One who has the power to save us and keep us for all eternity!
I love how the Lord's generosity is a common thread in this week's readings. Indeed, there is great comfort in the thought that, "The Lord is near to all who call upon Him." Would he turn away any of his creations? No. He is good to all, slow to anger and rich in love. We cannot earn his attention and favor. Instead, he graces us with mercy and compassion, every time we ask.
ReplyDeleteThe landowner in the Gospel reading is generous with all of the workers he hires, paying the last workers as much as the first. Although some may argue that the landowner is not fair, truly he is allowed to do how he pleases with his own money. In the same way, the Lord is free to shower His gifts of love, peace, strength, comfort, and the like, in any manner He pleases; He gives lavishly to those who ask.
I am reminded of James 1:5, which states: "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him."
I feel thankful to my Lord who gives wisdom to me, a fool. From the overflow of my blessings, it is natural to orient my heart upward and toward God, with gratitude. When I exercise the gifts He has given me, I can overcome jealousy and envy over another's good fortune and focus on the abundance of my own blessings.
Great is the Lord and highly to be praised!
ReplyDeleteThe psalmist calls us to praise and worship the Lord with heartfelt gratitude for what He has done for us. In spite of our sinful nature, on the contrary His divine Nature is loving, merciful, forgiving and just. The Lord is always righteous in His ways. He watches over all who trust Him and love Him. Most of all in His love He cares for our Salvation.
God sent us His son Jesus Christ as our Savior who has redeemed us. And so we are blessed that we could live in eternity with Him. That’s why He is highly to be praised. Moreover, I am beginning to realize that His love for His creation is so great that He loves equally all He has made, regardless of social status, race, or whether rich or poor. He blesses those who call upon Him so they can experience His mercy and His presence. And He gives them a chance to have renewed lives.
Whenever I have hardened my heart, and am full of distrust, doubt and lack of love, first I seek God’s presence. He allows me the wisdom to know that my sins cause a block between God and me.
At times God has seemed to be far away in the distance. Then I am in darkness.
I could not do anything to help myself. My connected line with God has gone out. I no longer have the power of His light. I could not pray, praise or worship the Lord. At times like that I offered up to God unceasing praise, worship and prayer in my everyday life. And then whenever I reach out to ask His forgiveness, He sets me free. That was the blessing and His mercy I experienced. The light of His presence has shown on me again.
These days I count my blessings instead of complaining about what God did not give me. I started to see things in a different perspective. Everything surrounding me is blessings and miracles. My husband’s life is sustained, and my daughters and their husbands and their children are relatively in good health. That is one of my blessings.
I should not compare myself with other people's blessings. I will just trust in God's faithful love toward me. That’s why the Lord is great and highly to be praised. I share the psalmist’s desire to praise God!
I feel as though I am constantly reaching out to the Lord, especially when it comes to my children and their depression battles. Just when I start to feel at ease, something else happens and I find myself reaching out again, it's almost an endless cycle. Just as one child seems to be getting better, then the other one encounters a battle. Since they are away in college, I cannot be there, but I know that God's presence is there with them. Despite their comments of not liking each other and not getting along, my boys seem to look out for one another. This is how God has shown me that He is near and easing my concerns. "The Lord is near to all who call upon Him" it is true that when I call upon Him, I feel more at peace, knowing that He is near to my children and to me.
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