His Greatness is Unsearchable

“A SONG OF PRAISE. OF DAVID. I will extol you, my God and King, and bless your name forever and ever. 2 Every day I will bless you and praise your name forever and ever. 3 Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable.” ESV Psalm 145:1-3

Of all the characters in the Bible, David is surely the most transparent. He readily reveals his struggles, his triumphs, his grief and remorse. The Psalms that are attributed to David are particularly transparent. Because of his openness, we should all be able to readily identify with him.

David, though anointed King, dealt with everyday issues just like you and me. His predecessor, Saul, hunted him like an animal and attempted to pin him to the wall with a spear once. David’s best friend, Jonathan, was from the household of the enemy; Saul’s son. Talk about a sticky friendship!

Temptation and failure were certainly no strangers to David. He sinned in a particularly grievous manner with Bathsheba. He had to bury the infant son that resulted from his transgression. Pride and arrogance led him to arrange for Bathsheba’s husband to be killed in battle. And later in life, he had an adult son try to deceitfully wrestle the kingdom from him.

Have I mentioned that David had issues? David’s life was far from perfect and filled with problems just like you and I face every day. Yet this same man penned some of the most touching words in all of Scripture; some Psalms of repentance, some of remorse and others of praise. Our text for today was a “song of praise” to God from David.

Note in the first verse that David directs his praise to God. Not the gods, but to the one and only God; Creator of heaven and earth. David also addresses God as King and thereby acknowledges His Lordship and authority over all creation. Finally, he concludes verse one by vowing to bless the name of God forever and ever.

In verse two, David almost emphatically proclaims that He will praise God every day. Did you get it? David declares that he will praise God EVERY DAY! Not just at Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter. Not just on those days when David felt victorious. Not just on those days when David felt full of the Holy Spirit. No. David pledged to praise God every day. David recognized that every day is a gift from God. David also knew that all of creation exists for God’s glory and good pleasure. David recognized that every day is a good day and that God is always worthy of our praise; every single day.

Verse three reads like an adjective amplifying what he has just said. David proclaims that God is great and worthy of an equally great praise. Like Moses, David just couldn’t get enough of God. Can you say the same? Do you desire God more every day? David desired God more every day and his quest brings the realization that God’s greatness is simply unsearchable; beyond what the imagination can comprehend; incomprehensible. How great is our God!

As you pause this week for our official time of Thanksgiving, pause for a moment and consider how great God is. Praise God as Creator, King, and Lord of all whose greatness is simply unsearchable.

God bless you and may your desire for God grow daily.

-Ken Askew