Psalm 145 has become my favorite psalm over the years…for several reasons. One is that it opens and closes with a practice that transforms our life and worship. David, the writer of this psalm, blesses the name of LORD.
I will extol Thee, my God, O King; and I will bless Thy name forever and ever.
Every day I will bless Thee, and I will praise Thy name forever and ever (Ps. 145:1-2).
My mouth will speak the praise of the LORD; and all flesh will bless His holy name forever and ever (Ps. 145:21).
When God blesses us, or when we say to another: God bless you, we are acknowledging God’s ability to give us His peace, protection, and provision beyond what we could attain of ourselves or from another person – for example, How blessed are all who take refuge in Him (Ps. 2:12b). Of course, no one can give away what they do not possess themselves. Thus God, who is the Giver of every good and perfect gift, does not need to be blessed in the sense that we do. To bless the LORD is to praise Him and express our gratitude for His greatness and blessing. Thus to bless His name is to ascribe greatness, praise, and worth to His name. It is one of the most basic means of worshiping the LORD, for His names describe not only who God is but also His great works. Here in verse 1 David addresses God as King – the sovereign who rightly rules the universe and his life. And in the final verse, David declares that God’s name is holy – it is like no other name – absolutely pure and good as God is pure and good. As a result, David and all flesh will bless God’s name forever and ever.
He is YHWH-Yireh – the LORD who will provide; El-Olam – the everlasting God. Jesus is the Good Shepherd; the Resurrection and the Life; and the Prince of Peace. These are just a few of the many names of God in Scripture by which we can bless / praise / worship Him. There are no greater thoughts that we can think or declare than those that declare the truth of God. It is for this reason that blessing the name of the LORD transforms our thinking and our affections, builds our faith, and draws our will to do His will. Select one name of God for each day of the week – bless Him by blessing His name – and witness Him change your life.