The Psalm That Changed My Life

When I was a younger pastor, I didn’t understand ministry. I didn’t understand the people I was called to serve or how to best serve them. I’m sure I said and did helpful things, and I genuinely endeavored to share the wisdom of God’s Word, but my ministry was lacking.

Then one day, in the mystery of God’s loving and wise sovereignty, I bumped into Psalm 145. I had read it many times before, but this particular time, it changed my life. That’s not an exaggeration—it truly transformed me and the way I did ministry. While I’m far from complete, I have been living in light of these changes ever since.

Psalm 145 (specifically verse 4) confronted me with the big-picture vision of what God has called me to: “One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts” (ESV).

Here’s my question for you today: Are you allowing Psalm 145:4 to transform your everyday ministry?

Even if you don’t hold an “official” position within your church or ministry organization (paid or volunteer), you are still called to be a participant in the work of God’s kingdom. As a child of the Redeemer, you hold a lifelong ministry responsibility.

Whether it’s:

• Facilitating a Bible study
• Teaching Sunday School
• Talking with teens in the youth group
• Leading corporate worship
• Preaching a sermon
• Raising your own children
• Building up your spouse
• Encouraging someone who is hurting
• Chatting informally with a friend
• Mentoring a younger believer
• Sharing the gospel with a non-believer

You must have one objective for each interaction: To commend the awesome glory of the works of the Lord to the other person.

God will send people who are forgetful, discouraged, empty, deceived, seduced, kidnapped, or weary into your path. Your job is to help them see and remember the awesome glory of God—the glory of his grace, wisdom, power, faithfulness, sovereignty, patience, kindness, mercy, and love.

Furthermore, it’s your calling to specifically and practically connect this glory to their everyday experience in a way that engages their heart and transforms their life. It must be so much more than mere intellectual dissemination of information.

Whatever the ministry moment, your job is to commend the awesome glory of the works of the Lord to the other person. What a high and holy calling!

We walk with others who are hardwired to celebrate the glory of God, but they have forgotten his works and need help remembering. When their heart is captured by the glory of his works, they will grow in willingness to abandon their plan of self-glory for the more magnificent plan of God.

Even more exciting is the promise of generational legacy. Not only will they remember and live in light of God’s glory today, but they will pass that celebration down to tomorrow’s generation!

This is the call on all of God’s children: give sight to blind eyes, inspire remembrance, and restore celebration to hearts which have been kidnapped by some horizontal glory replacement.

God bless,

Paul Tripp

Reflection Questions

1. What are some of the distractions that tend to get in the way of Psalm 145 ministry?

2. What awesome works of God have you experienced? (Read the entire Psalm 145 for inspiration)

3. Who do you know who is currently forgetful, discouraged, empty, deceived, seduced, kidnapped, or weary?

4. What awesome works of God do they need to be reminded of?

5. How can you specifically and practically connect this glory to their everyday experience?