The Greatness of God

As the new year dawns, people often find themselves asking: How should I look at what lies ahead? Some take the path of the optimist, focusing only on what is good. Others live as pessimists, overshadowed by what is wrong. Still others lean toward idealism, longing for what should be. But the believer is called to something higher: to lift our eyes to the greatness of God, who is faithful through it all.

Psalm 145 is a psalm of David, a hymn of praise crafted as an acrostic—each line beginning with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet, capturing the fullness of God’s character. It is David’s way of declaring that from A to Z, from beginning to end, God is worthy of worship. It calls us to remember who He is, what He has done, and His covenant love that endures forever.

We Are Called to Praise the Living God

David begins by lifting high the name of the Lord: “I will exalt You, my God, the King, and I will bless Your name forever and ever.” His praise is not casual or occasional, but continual. God is worthy of praise for all time and in every circumstance. Making much of Him is not just a ritual—it is the heartbeat of true worship.

We Praise Him for His Great Works

God’s greatness is seen not only in His nature but also in His deeds. From generation to generation, His people recall His mighty works—deliverance, provision, faithfulness, and mercy. David echoes the rhythm of Psalm 78, retelling the stories of God’s power so that future generations may know. Our worship, too, is enriched when we rehearse His works, seeing His hand both in Scripture and in our own lives.

We Worship Him for His Goodness

David goes further: God’s greatness is not only in what He does but in who He is. He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love. These words echo the Lord’s own self-disclosure to Moses in Exodus 34. His goodness extends not only to His covenant people but to all creation. The very world testifies to His mercy and majesty.

We Praise Him for His Kingdom

As a king, David understood kingdoms and thrones, but he looked beyond his own rule to the kingdom that would come through his line—the eternal kingdom of Christ. God’s saints, he says, are called to recall His covenant love and to rejoice in the hope of His promised reign. Revelation 5 reminds us of this fulfillment in Christ, who by His blood ransomed people from every nation to be a kingdom and priests to our God.

We Worship Him for His Mighty Goodness

God’s greatness is not abstract but personal. He upholds those who fall, provides for every creature, and watches over those who fear Him. Jesus Himself taught this in Matthew 6: if God feeds the birds and clothes the flowers, how much more will He care for His children? His care points us not only to daily provision but to the eternal gift of life with Him. Those who trust Him will not be put to shame; those who oppose Him will find all else to be vanity.

All People Are Compelled to Worship Him

Psalm 145 concludes with a sweeping truth: all flesh will bless His holy name forever. For His transcendence and immanence, for His authority and love, for His holiness and redeeming power—He is worthy of our whole being.

Looking Ahead With Faith

As we step into a new year, we may be tempted to lean toward optimism, pessimism, or idealism. But faith calls us to something greater. We are not defined by circumstances, but by the One who is faithful through them all. The believer’s outlook is rooted not in what may be, but in who God is.

The question before us is simple: Will we focus on the challenges of 2025, or will we focus on the greatness of God—greater than any fear, any trial, or any change?

Let us begin this year as David did: in praise, in trust, and in joyful worship of the Lord whose greatness knows no end.