^{19 “}He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him;
He also will hear their cry and save them.
²⁰ The Lord preserves all who love Him,
But all the wicked He will destroy.
²¹ My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord,
And all flesh shall bless His holy name
Forever and ever.”

Psalm 145:19-21, NKJV

I must admit, this Psalm seems too good to be true. And I’m quite suspicious when things seem that way. Seldom am I wrong when it comes right down it. I’ve avoided scams and charlatans. I’m one of those people who have grown up with a real fear of being ‘taken for a ride.’

But suspiciousness is not listed as a ‘gift of the spirit.’ The closest we come to it is in the gift of “self-control.” (And I need more of that!)

Miracles and promises can’t be treated this callously by believers. Faith has to be present in order to receive the things God has fixed for us. “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him,” Hebrews 11:6.

Faith is meant to be a simple response to God and His Word. If we are ‘hardened’ it means the Lord has to break up our ‘concrete.’ (And He is exceptionally thorough and faithful in His dealings with us.)

Commentary

V. 19, ^“He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him;
He also will hear their cry and save them.

To have ‘fulfillment’ we must turn to God. Only He has what we really need.  The fear of God is to be present in our lives. The second part of this verse deals with His responsiveness. We have His personal ‘cell number,’ direct to Him. The amazing thing in all of this, He wants it so! There is no reluctance or regret on the Lord’s part.

V. 20, “The Lord preserves all who love Him,
But all the wicked He will destroy.”

The stakes are high, and the ‘spiritual’ is the critical thing. I think that “love” is really the central matter. Love like this cannot be false or pretend. It has too be real, authentic and impervious to the world’s constant pull.

I also think that ‘wickedness’ is the logical and moral state opposite of love. It is the sinister counterpoint, and the opposite of God’s heart.

V. 21, “My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord,
And all flesh shall bless His holy name
Forever and ever.”

We live in a world that is being sifted. Often the prophets would use the imagery of threshing floor. The grain would be brought in, still on the stalk. Through several different methods they would completely separate the grain from the chaff. This metaphor is how we process our lives.

The confidence of David is seen. David blesses God, and he understands this to be his eternal destiny. Blessing God will be his full time job!

*

ybic, Bryan

Related articles

• A Certain Kindness: Psalm 145:17-18 (psalmslife.com)
• Bent by the Load: Psalm 145:14-16 (psalmslife.com)
• God in Control: Psalm 145:12-13 (psalmslife.com)
• Psalms 1:2,3 (kingdomd.wordpress.com)