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Aneel Aranha is an author, preacher, and evangelist who has spoken to hundreds of thousands of people around the world. You can find a huge selection of his reflections, articles, sermons, songs and other resources on his website www.aneelaranha.com.

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Psalm 145 — Know You Are Loved

October 26, 2023 • Aneel Aranha • Season 3 • Episode 145

0:00 | 4:33

Psalm 145's acrostic structure celebrates God's universal kindness, linking the psalmist's words to Jesus' teachings on indiscriminate love.

Psalm 145 — Know You Are Loved — Aneel Aranha

I will exalt you, my God the King;
I will praise your name for ever and ever.
Every day I will praise you
and extol your name for ever and ever.
Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise;
his greatness no one can fathom.
One generation commends your works to another;
they tell of your mighty acts.
They speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty—
and I will meditate on your wonderful works.
They tell of the power of your awesome works—
and I will proclaim your great deeds.
They celebrate your abundant goodness
and joyfully sing of your righteousness.
The LORD is gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger and rich in love.
The LORD is good to all;
he has compassion on all he has made.
All your works praise you, LORD;
your faithful people extol you.
They tell of the glory of your kingdom
and speak of your might,
so that all people may know of your mighty acts
and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
and your dominion endures through all generations.
The LORD is trustworthy in all he promises
and faithful in all he does.
The LORD upholds all who fall
and lifts up all who are bowed down.
The eyes of all look to you,
and you give them their food at the proper time.
You open your hand
and satisfy the desires of every living thing.
The LORD is righteous in all his ways
and faithful in all he does.
The LORD is near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him in truth.
He fulfills the desires of those who fear him;
he hears their cry and saves them.
The LORD watches over all who love him,
but all the wicked he will destroy.
My mouth will speak in praise of the LORD.
Let every creature praise his holy name
for ever and ever.

Psalm 145 is a unique gem among psalms. It's an acrostic poem. This means that the first letter of each verse is a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet, from aleph (א) to tav (ת). The only exception is that the letter nun (נ) is missing.

The acrostic structure serves several purposes. First, it helps the reader to remember the psalm. Second, it emphasizes the completeness of the psalm's praise of God. It's like an A to Z of praise. Third, it can be a poetic device to add emphasis and beauty to the psalm.

However, beyond its literary structure, this psalm is a heartfelt celebration of God's kindness. The psalmist writes, "The LORD is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. The LORD is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made."

This isn't just a casual observation; it's a profound theological statement. The psalmist emphasizes that God's kindness isn't selective or discriminatory. It's universal and extended to all of creation.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says, "He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous" (Matthew 5:45). Jesus is highlighting the indiscriminate nature of God's kindness. Just as the sun and rain benefit everyone, God's love is poured out on all, regardless of their moral standing.

But there's more. Jesus not only taught about God's kindness; he embodied it. Think about how he interacted with those society had cast aside—the tax collectors, the sinners, the sick. In every encounter, Jesus demonstrated the grace and compassion the psalmist celebrated.

Let us reflect this grace and compassion to all we meet in all situations, from A to Z.

God bless you.