Posted by
Marcy Muser on Saturday, August 12, 2006 11:44:38 AM
One thing I’ve noticed reading the Psalms, especially today’s Psalm, 145. In our action-driven culture, so centered on ourselves and on NOW, we have a strong tendency to focus on what God has done, especially what He has done for us, and even more particularly what He has done for us recently. Maybe the ancient Hebrew culture was, at least in that regard, healthier than our own (and that’s another thing; we tend to think our society is the epitome of civilization – but is it?). As I read the Psalms, I notice they focus much more on Who God is than on what He’s done.
This morning I made a chart for Psalm 145, showing how many times the psalmist refers to Who God is, how often he refers to what God has done, and how people are to respond based on these truths. What I discovered was that the psalmist talked about Who God was 23 times, and about what He had done only 14 times. That’s nearly twice as many references to God’s person and character as to His deeds. And when he did talk about what God had done, he documented His general deeds for a large number of people throughout all of time, not about specifics He had done for the psalmist recently.
How shallow my prayers seem, compared to this standard! How little I think about Who God is and what He’s done generally; and how terribly self-centered I am! I tend to think (and pray) almost exclusively about what God has done for me – and if He did it more than five years ago, it barely counts.
Forgive me, Father, for being self-centered rather than You-centered. You are indeed great, mighty, righteous, loving, good to all, majestic, immeasurably awesome – and so much more. Take my eyes off me and turn them toward You instead, because You are worthy of my praise, and You have done marvelous things. May Your Name receive the glory!