Psalms 145:10 - Meaning and Application

The greatness and goodness of the one who is the best and greatest of all beings were praised in the earlier part of the psalm. Here, in these verses, we are taught to give him the glory of his kingdom, where his greatness and goodness shine even more clearly. Notice, first, who is expected to offer this praise in verse 10: “All your works shall praise you.” All God’s works give us reasons to praise him, and in that way they praise him according to what they are able to do. Even those who refuse to honor him will still be made to honor him in the end.

But his saints bless him in a fuller way. They do not only receive special blessings from him, unlike the rest of creation. They also praise him with understanding and purpose, while the rest of his works praise him only by showing his power and wisdom. His saints gather the tribute of praise from the lower creatures and bring it up to God. All God’s works praise him like a fine building praises its builder or a painted picture praises its artist. But the saints bless him like children rise up and call loving parents blessed. Of all God’s works, his saints, the work of his grace and the first fruits of his creatures, have the most reason to bless him.

Second, consider what this praise is about: “They shall speak of your kingdom.” God’s kingdom among people is something to think about often and speak about often. Earlier, the psalm praised God’s greatness and goodness in general. Here, those same qualities are shown in relation to his kingdom. Think then about the greatness of his kingdom. It is truly great, for all the kings and kingdoms of the earth are under his control.

To show how great God’s kingdom is, the writer points to its glory. If we could look by faith into heaven, we would see, and then speak of, the glory of his kingdom in verse 11, the glorious majesty of it in verse 12. He has set his throne in the heavens, high and lifted up, surrounded by countless angels. Solomon’s and Ahasuerus’s courts were splendid, but compared with God’s glorious majesty, they were like glow-worms beside the sun. Thinking about this should make us reverent whenever we come near to God.

He also points to the power of God’s kingdom. When we speak of the glory of God’s kingdom, we must also speak of his power, its reach and its effect, his power by which he can do anything and does everything he pleases (verse 11). As proof, we should make known his mighty acts (verse 12), so that people may be invited to become his willing subjects and place themselves under the protection of such a mighty ruler.

Then there is the lasting nature of his kingdom, in verse 13. The thrones of earthly rulers shake, their crowns fade, and their kingdoms come to an end. But “your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom.” God will rule the world until the end of time. Then the Mediator, Christ, the one now entrusted with managing his kingdom, will hand it over to God the Father, so that God may be all in all forever. His rule lasts through every generation, because he himself is eternal and his purposes never change. Satan, who set up a kingdom against him, has been defeated and chained.

Next, consider the goodness of his kingdom. His royal title is “The Lord God, gracious and merciful,” and his rule matches that title. God’s goodness appears in what he does for all creation in general, in verses 15 and 16. He provides food for every living thing, and in that we see his lasting mercy (Psalm 136:25). All creatures live from God. As they received their being from him at first, so they depend on him for every support and for their continued life.

Their eyes look to him in expectation: “The eyes of all wait on you.” The lower creatures do not know God, and they are not able to know him. Yet they are said to wait on God because they seek their food by the instinct God has placed in them, as Jesus said they do not sow or reap (Matthew 6:26). They also take what God has provided, at the time and in the way he has appointed, and they are satisfied with it. God’s hand of generosity is open to them: “You give them their food in due season.” He gives them the right food at the right time, when they need it. So, as a rule, none of the creatures perish for lack of food, not even in winter. He opens his hand freely and generously, and satisfies the desire of every living thing, except for some foolish people, who are never satisfied and keep crying, “Give, give.”

God’s goodness also appears toward human beings in particular, whom he rules as reasonable creatures. He does no wrong to any of them, for “the Lord is righteous in all his ways” and never unrighteous in any of them, as verse 17 says. He is holy and acts in keeping with himself, with perfect fairness in all he does. In all his rule, he is just, hurting no one, but giving justice to all. The ways of the Lord are right, even when ours are crooked. In giving laws, deciding disputes, rewarding service, and punishing sin, he is clearly just, and we must admit that he is.

He also does good to all of them, and in a special way to his own people. First, he supports those who are sinking, and it is his honor to help the weak, as verse 14 says. “He upholds all who fall,” so that even when they fall, they are not destroyed. Many people are brought very low by sickness and other troubles, and seem ready to die, yet God’s care wonderfully upholds them and raises them up. If everyone had died when they first seemed near death, the world would be much emptier. Many of God’s children have also been ready to fall into sin or despair, but they have found his goodness in preventing their fall or quickly restoring them by his grace and comfort, so that, though they fell, they were not destroyed (Psalm 37:24). If those bowed down by oppression and suffering are raised up, it is God who raised them. And for all who are burdened by sin, if they come to Christ by faith, he will give them rest and lift them up.

Second, he is very ready to hear and answer the prayers of his people, in verses 18 and 19. This shows the grace of his kingdom, because his subjects do not only have permission to ask, but every reason to ask freely. The promise is rich: God is near to all who call on him. He is always within reach of their prayers, and they are always within reach of his help. If a nearby neighbor is better than a brother far away (Proverbs 27:10), then how much better is a God who is near.

No, he will do more than come near to them so they can enjoy the comfort of being heard. He will also grant their requests, so they receive what they ask for and find what they seek. It was already said that he satisfies the desire of every living thing (Psalm 145:16), and he will certainly do even more for those who fear him. The one who feeds his birds will not leave his children unfed.

He will hear their cry and save them. That is real hearing, hearing that brings help. He heard David, meaning he saved him, from the strength of the wild oxen, the great danger named in Psalm 22:21. The condition is very reasonable. He will hear and help us if we fear him, meaning if we worship and serve him with holy awe. Otherwise, how can we expect him to accept us?

He will also hear us if we call on him in truth, because he wants truth deep inside us. We must be faithful to God and sincere when we say we depend on him and belong to him. In every act of worship, what we feel inside must match what we say and do outside. If it does not, then our worship is not true.

The Lord gives special protection to those who love him, as Psalm 145:20 says. They may seem exposed in this world, but by keeping them in their integrity, he truly secures them so that no real harm will finally come to them. If anyone is destroyed, they can blame only themselves. All the wicked he will destroy, but their own wickedness has fitted them for destruction.

This shows how great God’s goodness is in guarding the righteous. The wicked will be seen receiving their just punishment, as in Psalm 91:8. In this way, God also protects his people by removing those who would harm them. The psalm ends with David’s resolve to give glory to God himself. “My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord” (Psalm 145:21).

When we have said all we can in praising God, there is still more to say. So we should not only begin our thanks with this purpose, as David did in Psalm 145:1, but also end them the same way. Soon we will have another reason to begin again, because one mercy leads into another. As long as I have breath, my mouth should keep speaking God’s praise.

David also calls on others to do the same: “Let all flesh,” meaning all people, “bless his holy name forever and ever” (Psalm 145:21). Some people will bless God forever, and it is a pity that all of mankind should not join them.