A God of Present Tense Verbs – Psalm 145

A text – Psalm 145:10-18

145:10 All your works shall give thanks to you, O LORD, and all your faithful shall bless you.
145:11 They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom, and tell of your power,
145:12 to make known to all people your mighty deeds, and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
145:13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures throughout all generations. The LORD is faithful in all his words, and gracious in all his deeds.
145:14 The LORD upholds all who are falling, and raises up all who are bowed down.
145:15 The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food in due season.
145:16 You open your hand, satisfying the desire of every living thing.
145:17 The LORD is just in all his ways, and kind in all his doings.
145:18 The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.

A reflection:

Psalm 145, I have learned, was originally composed with each line starting with the next letter of the Hebrew alphabet. It praises God from A to Z, we might say. But what I also learned when I studied it a little is that the verbs that God does in this psalm are all present participles. So instead of “the Lord upholds” or “the Lord raises up”, the verbs ought to end in ing: the Lord is upholding all who are falling, and the Lord is raising up all who are bowed down. These are ongoing actions right now.

Does that really make a difference? Yes! In the 21^st century we might find it difficult to imagine that God is doing ANYTHING at all right at this moment. But God is actually upholding those who are falling and raising up those who are bowed down. Right now. And that makes God active in the present tense, the subject of present tense verbs.

Just as Jesus’s followers had to shake themselves to take in the idea that Jesus, that man sitting with them at the table, is also the Son of God, so we too have to shake ourselves to take in the idea that God did not just act in the days of Moses or King David or even Jesus. God is acting right now. And anyone reciting this psalm properly is claiming that God does it all the time, not just way back when.

Which people who are bowed down right now do you think God is raising up? Who is the Lord opening a hand to, satisfying them with what they desire? Who has the Lord very near to her, who calls to the Lord? Is it you? Is it your neighbor? God is loving all God’s children right now.

A prayer:

Dear Lord God, Thank you for loving us. Thank you for being active and near your dearest children to supply what they want and need. Thank you for not being only distant and long ago. Thank you for being a living God who acts today. Help us not to forget that, and to call upon you. Amen.