Every year different organizations host a Pi competition. In this competition, contestants recite as many digits of the number Pi as they can from memory. The top record holder is Suresh Kumar Sharma who recited 70,030 digits over the course of seventeen hours. The interesting thing about this challenge is that no one will ever master it. The number of digits in Pi is infinite. Yet, that does not keep people from trying!

In some ways this has a parallel with Psalm 145. Near the beginning of this praise psalm, David admits that God’s greatness is such that “no one can fathom” it (v. 3). It is not possible to fully articulate God’s attributes or to describe His nature. Yet, that does not keep David from praise. This psalm praises God from A to Z!

David reminds Israel that praise continues from one generation to the next: “One generation commends your works to another” (v. 4). The next few verses put this into action. The new generation praises God, and David responds, “They speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty— and I will meditate on your wonderful works” (v. 5). One of the joys of worshiping in church is when the elderly and youth, believers of every generation, join in praising God side by side.

David rehearses many of God’s attributes: “The LORD is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love” (v. 8). He does not tire of recounting what God has done. God is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Heb. 13:8). He is the true King and sovereign over all creation (vv. 1, 13).

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The worship of idols was an important part of life for Israel’s neighbors. Skilled craftsmen created idols from the finest materials available. Priests would perform elaborate ceremonies to endow the idol with the presence of the god. The idol would then be treated as royalty. The object would be clothed and “fed” with the best, treated with awe and reverence.

Psalm 135 is a rousing praise psalm to remind Israel that the Lord is greater than the gods of the nations. It was also a stern reminder to Israel that worshiping idols was foolish. These idols were “silver and gold, made by human hands” (v. 15). They had mouths, eyes and ears that did not work (vv. 16–18). These gods could never save or deliver like the Lord. The psalm reminds Israel that the Lord is the One who delivered them from Egypt and brought them into the land of Canaan (vv. 8–12).

Living in the twenty-first century, it is easy to think we are immune to the danger of worshiping idols. But an idol is anything in which we place our allegiance, trust, or hope instead of God. An idol could be our reliance on social media for affirmation or the hope we entrust to politicians. There are hundreds of ways we can fall into the trap of idol worship. An added danger is that we become like what we worship (v. 18).

The good news is that if we worship God, we will grow to become like Him. As Paul explained, “And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory” (2 Cor. 3:18).

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It can be easy for our prayer life to devolve into a series of requests: “God can you help me with X…? Can you bring healing to Y…?” And on and on. This is not necessarily a bad thing. Jesus invites us, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you” (Matt. 7:7). The problem comes when we start envisioning our relationship with God as a customer to vendor or a supervisor to underling.

Psalm 123 reminds us of our proper standing before God. We do not look down on God or view Him as an equal. Instead, the psalmist proclaims, “I lift up my eyes to you, to you who sit enthroned in heaven” (v. 1). God is enthroned over the universe. Our relationship with Him is of servant to master (v. 2). Being a child of God means waiting upon Him, attending His word and obeying. We are at His service.

Being God’s servant has benefits. We can expect Him to hear when we call. The psalmist had been ridiculed and mocked by scoffers (v. 4). Because he was God’s servant this was a problem for God as well. Would God allow His servant to be treated poorly? It could be that God had His own purpose for this situation, but this psalm models for us that it is appropriate to ask for God to intervene when we face a difficult situation. We can do this not because God is at our beck and call but because we trust in His mercy and unfailing love (v. 3). We know that He cares. As the author of Hebrews instructs, “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (Heb. 4:16).

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On November 19, 1863, Abraham Lincoln delivered a speech as part of the dedication ceremony of Soldiers’ National Cemetery at Gettysburg. His speech was only two minutes long and comprised of 271 words. Even though it was brief, the President’s speech had a huge impact. It is often quoted, alluded to, and has become an important part of our American heritage.

Psalm 117 might be the shortest chapter of the Bible, yet it also has a profound meaning out of proportion to its length. The psalm opens with a call to praise. Notice that it is not directed at Israel or the worshiping community. Instead, the psalmist calls the nations to praise Yahweh, the God of Israel (v. 1)! This psalm reminds Israel that God’s desire was always to reach the nations through Israel. God called Israel not because He rejected the nations, but so that the nations could eventually join Israel in true worship (Gen. 12:3). The apostle Paul picked up on this teaching, “Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf of God’s truth, so that the promises made to the patriarchs might be confirmed and, moreover, that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy” (Rom. 15:8–9).

The psalmist does not just call the nations to worship God but gives them some reasons to do so as well, “For great is his love toward us” (v. 2). The word great is a strong one and better translated as “prevailed.” God’s love has prevailed in a fallen world. His commitment to provide salvation for all people is unshakable (v. 2).

This psalm gives us a helpful way to think about evangelism. In sharing the gospel, we are calling people to come and join us in the worship of the true God. This is what we were created for. Praise God that in His mercy, He has made a way for us to be reconciled to Him.

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Psalm 113 opens with a rousing call to praise. The psalmist declares that God’s praise should be broadcast “from the rising of the sun to the place where it sets” (v. 3). This is a stunning claim. Should the Lord be praised in Philistia? Yes, even in Philistia. Should the Lord be praised in Egypt? Yes, in Egypt. Should the Lord be praised in Iowa? Brazil? Bangladesh? Yes, from the east to the west!

The Lord is worthy of worship from all people because there is no one like Him (v. 5). One of things that makes God so unique is that even though He is more powerful and exulted than anyone in the universe, “he raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap” (v. 7). He cares deeply about people that we are often quick to ignore. The powerless and broken are especially noticed by Him.

Psalm 113 begins a series of psalms that are traditionally used at Passover to celebrate Israel’s exodus from Egypt. It is likely that Jesus and His disciples sang Psalms 113–118 as a part of the Last Supper (Matt. 26:30). God heard the cries of His people and delivered them. He humbled Pharaoh and made the needy rejoice.

This theme comes to its fulfillment in the gospel. The apostle Paul said, “Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God choose the weak things of the world to shame the strong” (1 Cor. 1:26–27). If God notices the weak and vulnerable, that is a perspective that we should have as well. Praise God today for His provision and care!

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Why is it so easy for us to forget the victories and miracles of our past when faced with the troubles of today? In yesterday’s reading, the psalmist narrated Israel’s history with an emphasis on God’s faithfulness. Today’s reading continues with a different emphasis.

This psalm was likely written during the exile to Babylon which had created a crisis of faith for many in Israel. God had judged them as a nation. They asked, “How should we respond to His judgment?” The psalm begins by offering praise to the Lord (v. 1). The psalmist declares that he is going to recite God’s “mighty acts” (v. 2). We are prepared for the recital of the miracles God performed for Israel. In a sense, that is exactly what the psalmist does, describing the exodus from Egypt, the crossing of the Red Sea, and the conquest of the Promised Land. However, this time the emphasis is not so much on the miracles, but on how Israel responded. Israel consistently fell into unbelief.

After the miracle of the Red Sea, the psalmist laments, “But they soon forgot what he had done” (v. 13). Israel failed to enter the promised land right away because “they did not believe his promise” (v. 24). After the conquest of the land, Israel worshiped idols, sacrificed their children to false gods, and “shed innocent blood” (vv. 34–39).

Despite all this, God was patient. He judged them in order to bring about their repentance. Again and again, God offered grace. But Israel’s sin culminated in the exile (v. 47). The psalmist calls Israel to repent and to praise God for His faithfulness even in the exile, even while longing for deliverance (vv. 47–48).

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My family enjoys watching nature shows together. It is stunning to see the diversity of animals and habitats that exist in the world. While most science shows do not give God the credit for creation, watching them often leads my family to have conversations about how creative and powerful our God is.

The author of Psalm 104 would have made a good scientist. He carefully observes many aspects of the created world in order to praise God. He observes the water cycle. He recognizes that rain is what sustains the life of animals and makes crops grow (vv. 10–14). The water cycle is not an impersonal process, but rather is evidence of God’s faithfulness and kindness.

The author notices that some animals come out and hunt in the night and sleep during the day, while people work during the day and sleep at night (vv. 19–23). Everything has its proper time and place. The ocean is still unexplored in many places. And, on occasion, the news will report of a new species that’s been discovered. It is a reminder to us that God cares about the animal world. He did not simply create them for humans. Rather, this psalm reminds us that God created them for His own delight (vv. 24–26). Indeed, the psalmist proclaims, “May the LORD rejoice in his works” (v. 31).

The sheer diversity and wonder of the created world should inspire us to join with the psalmist in praise to God. Surely, “how many are your works, LORD! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures” (v. 24). Today’s reading is a good reminder to open our eyes and allow the wonder of creation to inspire us to praise God

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In 1835, a music publisher named Charles Bradlee created a tune to help children learn the alphabet. Utilizing a theme by Mozart, Bradlee copyrighted the tune that children all over the United States sing to learn their ABCs. Just like Charles Bradlee, the Israelites knew that one of the best ways to teach truth about God was through poem and song. Since most of ancient Israel was not able to read, songs were especially important.

In verses 3–5 of today’s reading, David outlines many of God’s gifts that Israel had experienced through the ages: forgiveness, healing, redemption, and renewal. These gifts flow from God’s nature. God is “compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love” (v. 8). The word for “love” here is difficult to capture in English. It means being devoted to someone in a covenant commitment. It is a kind of love that is for better or worse, richer or poorer, in sickness and in health.

Sometimes we may picture God as only loving and forgiving to the exclusion of other attributes He has. David does not do so here. He reminds us that God is also “slow to anger” and just (vv. 6, 8). “Slow to anger” reminds us that anger is at times God’s appropriate response rooted in His covenant love. His anger is in the context of a deep understanding of our frailty as humans. God “remembers that we are dust” (v. 14). This does not mean that we are unimportant, but rather that God is mindful of our limitations. The proper response is to join with the angels and heavenly hosts in joyful praise (vv. 20–21).

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